Petals and Smoke
by silvergryphon06
Summary: Tiri's not sure what she's gotten into on this ship. In hindsight, it doesn't seem like her best idea. But she's stuck now, and it looks like certain members of the crew are determined to keep her that way. Complete!
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N: 'Allo all! I've been reworking this story and I think its finally ready to start being posted once again. For those of you that had been following it, I apologize for its removal, but I really felt that it needed some work. For those of you who thought it was perfect as is, well, here's some bonus features. I had mentioned before that this can be considered the "What if" alternative to my other fic, "Petals on the Blade". If you haven't read it, it's fine and you can consider this a completely different piece altogether. Some things will be different, significantly so, and some things will remain the same. Please review and leave me some feedback, guys, its so encouraging to hear your love for the work! Enjoy!**_

_**Disclaimer: I own nothing except a gremlin, who sometimes moonlights as my muse.**_

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><p>The curtains blew gently in the summer breeze, softly pink satin that fluttered with barely a sound in the stirring of air. Outside the window was nothing but a vast view of the sea, huge puffy clouds lazily floating. The room was lavishly furnished, some might say overly so, with silken yellow sheets that covered the enormous bed and wooden furniture that glistened as if made of a bright metal. Ornately framed portraits hung on rich wallpaper. Aside from the air, nothing moved in the room, a whisper of cloth against the hardwood floor, the soft pop of the fireplace, lit even in this heat, a display of the wealthy. The morning sunlight flooded the room cheerily, chasing away all shadows, save one.<p>

It slipped across the walls as if a candle had flickered in the wind, darting past the bed with a mouse's silent scurry. Wafting through the air were soft lilac colored petals, their passing casting the shadows as they sailed through the rays of sunshine. They began to catch at a corner of the room, far from the fire place, collecting into a soft pile that grew bigger with each passing moment. Suddenly, they shifted, melding together until they become a single, solid form. A young woman, perhaps early twenties, at least that was the age she looked. Her hair was a cascade of flowing lavender ringlets, her features soft and fine. Her gaze darted around the room, orbs the color of liquid mercury, and she tilted her head, as if listening. She stepped towards one of the smaller portraits hung near the fireplace on silent, booted feet, the swish of her clothing barely audible. Gently, she lifted the painting, placing it carefully on the floor.

A safe was revealed to her smirking features as she shook her head, curls tumbling over her shoulder and into her eyes at the motion. Patiently, she tucked them back and reached up, placing her ear to the cool metal. The tumblers clicked softly as she turned the dial with but a touch. Tense moments passed and she still didn't stir, slender fingers appearing to coax the clicking noises.

Left, right, back again, a quick spin, repeat…click!

Flashing a grin, she swiftly pulled on the handle, revealing dust covered, but neat stacks of beli. She reached past them and her hands slid across the metallic interior. She felt a bump and pressed, releasing the trap harmlessly, then, stood on her tiptoes, peering inside. Discovering what she was looking for, she retrieved a thin packet of papers. Perhaps on impulse, she took one beri stack as well, shoving her haul into the slender satchel strapped to her thigh. With movements that seemed rather practiced, she closed the safe, spun the dial back to zero and replaced the painting. Nodding in satisfaction, she turned on her heel, moving towards the window when she froze.

Voices drifted to her sensitive ears from behind the closed door near the only window and a panicked look flew across her face. Quickly, she ducked behind the door as the voices drew nearer and she held her breath when the door flung open, almost ramming her right in the nose.

"I'm telling you, sir, it's strange. There hasn't been any word from the men posted at the back door and I have a bad feeling-"

"You always have bad feelings," another voice snapped, male, but a higher octave than the previous speaker. "Who could get in here, anyways? We're three stories up and the only way out is the window and the door, both of which are watched. You worry too much, Hansan."

Footsteps receded as they continued their conversation, coming further into the room. The woman closed her eyes, her brows furrowing in concentration. This was going to take some careful timing.

"With all due respect sir, I-"

"Enough! I'm tired of your constant babbling."

That must have been a dismissal as only one pair of heavy treaded steps came back towards her, the door swiftly being pulled away. The woman's body quickly burst into a silent shower of petals and then they slid under the door as it closed from the other side, careful not to bump into the black boots just in front of them.

Today, however, didn't seem like it was going to be her day. A tiny gust of wind was caused by the door's shutting, stirring the pile of petals and causing them to blow forward suddenly then jerk back. The man who had shut the door, with a heavy black mustache and dark uniform, caught the swirling motion out of the corner of his eye and whipped around, rifle out of its harness and aimed. He fired at the pile and the soft flowers scattered before flying down the hallway, solidifying as they did so and the man gaped. Recovering quickly, he fired again and she barely dodged, ducking around a corner and fleeing at a dead run, her boots thundering on the carpet. A wall came into view and she backpedaled, her feet catching in the thick rug and she lost her balance, slamming into the hard wood.

"Roger's balls," she swore, grasping at her sore shoulder.

Cursing under her breath again, she blindly spun and ran left, hoping like hell there was some place to hide or escape. Another bullet whizzed past her ear, a lilac curl falling from the mane and she glared.

Thankfully, she rounded another corner as another shot rang out and she spotted a window at the far end of the corridor. Speeding up, she charged at it, heart thumping madly in her chest as adrenaline shot into her system. Raising her arms and tucking her chin, she threw herself at the glass and it shattered with a resounding crash. The guard had been right at her heels and his jaw dropped a second time as he watched her body dissolve before his eyes in a burst of lavender, the petals floating lazily, before being swiftly caught in the wind. Gently, the spun in the air before falling to the cobbled street below and he muttered a loud curse before turning on his heel, shouting orders at the top of his lungs.

She didn't hear it, however, as she transformed again, her feet scrambling as she took off down the alley. Narrow streets wound in all directions around her, but she could hear distant shouts and new that she had to hide or lose them. She could see the blazing blue of the sea ahead as she sped up another street. The docks were right in front of her as she panted, her lungs burning with the need for oxygen. There was no time to consider much, so she darted into the crowded street and slowed, attempting to blend into the throng of people, willing her flushed cheeks to cool and her breathing to slow. She walked down the wide street as if she belonged there, weaving easily amongst the thick crowd. The ocean was to her right and a wall of buildings and market stalls were on her left. Small, even teeth worried at her lip. The man had seen her clothes and her hair and she knew it was a unique enough color that she would be spotted instantly. Moving almost entirely on auto-pilot, she strode by a stall, the vendor hawking his colorful swaths of cloth loudly.

So as not to be spotted, she blended into a gaggle of women who stood close to the fabrics a bit away from the shopkeeper. Fingerless gloves eased over the materials, as if she too, were perusing the wares. With a subtle flick of her wrist, she snatched up a length of cotton and, inching to the back of the little group, swept it around her shoulders and twisted the material around her neck, creating a temporary cloak. Silently, she retreated, her steps turning to go in the direction from whence she had just come. She could see men in the uniforms from the manor she had just vacated and she slowed her pace, acting as natural as possible. However, she could see a mustached man pulling various women towards him, peering at them carefully and she felt panic clog her throat again.

"Shit," she muttered.

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><p>Her silvery eyes darted about, looking for a means of escape. Without warning, she felt herself bump into something very hard and smelling of steel, the collision causing her make-shift hood to slip down and her lavender hair peeked out beneath the dark colored fabric. She quickly looked up and what she immediately noted was bright green hair. Then she noticed the scar running down the left eye while the right stared at her, the brow arched in an annoyed expression.<p>

"Watch where you're going," a baritone growled at her roughly, the man's hands clasped behind his head and an idea popped into her mind. She was desperate enough to take the chance.

"Sorry, my fault," she murmured, meeting his gaze for a moment with an apologetic expression before she made a move to step past him, tugging her hood down to hide her face again.

Her hand grazed his hip, the opposite one where she had spotted three katanas snugly secured by a sash and she gave a little tug, the slight weight of a small bag in her palm making her smile. She felt him stiffen and she broke out into a run, twisting her body as she sensed the hand coming in from her right to grab her.

"Hey," he yelled after her retreating back, but she didn't turn around.

Well, that would be a diversion enough. She doubted the guardsmen would suspect a thief being the real thief they were looking for. _Always be the unexpected, _came the words unbidden in her ears and she scowled, slipping past several groups of people. Now, to find somewhere the green-haired man wouldn't find her. He was right on her heels, however, and she needed to think of something fast, a lie or an escape, either one would be wonderful about now, as she couldn't just burst into petals in the middle of the street. As she careened down the populous dock, she saw two massive ships just ahead. She sped up and she could feel him sped up behind her. Damn, he was a lot quicker than he looked.

She feinted left, around a group of sailors, then slipped behind them, moving right, hoping it would throw him off long enough for her to disappear. Not bothering to look, she bolted between the ships, randomly selecting the slightly smaller one and ran all the way to the very back, skidding to a stop when she reached the edge of the dock. Not the best time for a swim, she wryly thought. She still had momentum, though, and used it to side-somersault onto a stack of cargo, easily scaling the hap hazardous heaping of the crates.

"Get back her, witch," she heard loudly, somewhere below and to her left, but she ignored it.

Her agile movements had her on the top of the pile in no time and she held her breath as she took a running leap, tumbling smoothly onto the deck of the ship and almost yelping in surprise to feel the slippery surface of grass under her body. Looking around quickly, she spotted the rigging leading up to what she thought might be the crow's nest, though she wasn't certain since it had a pretty decent sized building-looking structure at the top.

She started to move in that direction, but a door on the deck burst open and a kid with a straw hat and a slightly taller man with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth walked out.

"Shit," she said again as the two males spotted her. She felt a hand grab her roughly from behind, spinning her around.

She was face to face with the green-haired man again and he looked most definitely more than annoyed at the moment, his grip like iron on her arms, keeping her still. She could see other people starting to gather on the deck and she cursed her luck with every foul word she had ever heard.

"Give it back," he snarled at her, but she just stared at him like she had no idea what he was talking about. He seemed to be resisting the urge to shake her.

"Now!" he yelled and she looked up at him with wide eyes before she smirked, melting into petals in his grasp. She heard him make a startled noise as she started to slip away in the wind.

"That's so cool!" she heard from her right, thinking it sounded like it came from the kid, but she paid him no heed, bent on escape.

"No, you don't," reached her hearing just as her face disappeared and she winced as something squeezed her tightly. He had managed to catch a fistful of her before she was completely lost to the breeze.

Now she was angry. This was just not her day and she was damned tired of running. So, instead of doing the prudent thing, she solidified once more, her hands on her hips. She threw back her makeshift hood, eyes blazing as he held up a fistful of lilac tinted petals and ignored the tall blond man with the kid as he made heart eyes at her.

"Give me back," she barked at him, holding up her hand to show that he currently held the equivalent of two of her fingers.

"Give me back my beri," he retorted and she scowled fiercely.

"Fine, it's not like I really wanted it anyways," she spat, tossing him the bag which he deftly caught in his free hand.

He released the petals and they swirled towards her outstretched palm, forming her missing fingers. She crossed her arms, knowing she was well and caught at the moment, but her eyes roved constantly. She saw two women, one a voluptuous red-head, the other a willowy brunette, each regarding her with thoughtful expressions. She did a double-take when she spotted a skeleton walk casually behind the two and raised both her brows in surprise. A thickly built man was perched on the railing of the poop deck and a little furry creature was staring up at her with wide eyes. Another man with a nose so long she hadn't thought it possible was also looking at her, but it was a wary glance. The green-haired man was also regarding her with careful scrutiny. She crossed her arms and cocked a hip, trying to appear casual.

"Well," she finally asked, the silence making her edgy.

"Well, what?" was the reply and her frown deepened.

"What do you want from me? An apology? I'm sorry. Recompense?"

"Recom-wha?" asked the kid, scratching at his head and looking towards the women with a puzzled expression.

"Paying off your debt, like I make you guys do," the redhead spoke up.

The woman ignored the exchange, her gaze fixed on the hard face of the swordsman, as he obviously was. When he still didn't say anything, she let out an irritated breath and pulled back her new cloak to reveal a snugly-fitted leather thigh. She pulled the stack of beri she had pilfered earlier and offered it with her arm out.

"Here, then, this should more than cover what I had taken," she said coolly and widened her eyes in surprise when the man looked insulted. He turned on his heel and marched to the mast, climbing the ladder without another word.

Now she really felt awkward, letting her arm drop and looking around at the people gathered on the deck. The kid suddenly hopped forward, coming so close that their noses almost touched. She jerked back, startled and her feet seemed to catch on themselves, tripping her. She landed ungracefully on her rump, wincing at the impact as a dull ache shot throbbed in her hind quarters.

"Ow," she whined, rubbing at her derriere tenderly before looking back up and seeing the kid grinning at her.

"Shishishi," he laughed, crossing his arms over a massive scar on his chest. Still grinning, he tilted his head down at her.

"What's your name?"

She didn't answer at first, completely off balance by the strange behavior of these people.

"T-Tiri," she practically squeaked out, any pretense of confidence or suaveness erased by the ache in her bottom.

The boy nodded and clapped his hands behind his head.

"Can you do that thing whenever you want?" he asked suddenly.

She shrugged, folding her legs under her, resigned to the fact that she probably wasn't going anywhere for the moment.

"Sure," was her response and he grinned wider, the scar beneath his eye crinkling.

"Can you fly like that?" he seemed very eager to hear this answer, leaning down with his hands on his knees until he was eye level with her.

"Um…sort of. It's more like floating," she said slowly, quickly adding, "But a strong wind blows up and I end up going wherever it is."

He clapped his hands, straightening suddenly.

"Awesome!" he yelled, his hands going back behind his head and he suddenly looked down at her with a big grin, but his black eyes were glinting, maybe mischief?

"Wanna be my nakama?" the question just about made her fall back in absolute shock as a chorus of voices rose up across the deck.

Why did she have to pick this weird ship to board? She asked herself with a groan.

"You don't even know me," she huffed, her scowl even deeper now.

"I know you're a good person. You gave back Zoro's beri. Not even Nami would do that," he laughed, running a hand across his nose.

The redhead pounced on him, grabbing at his face and Tiri stepped back in shock when the skin stretched to an unbelievable length before snapping back into place.

"What did you say, baka?" she screeched at him, whacking in the back of his head with a fist, making Tiri wince.

"Owww, Nami, what was that for?" the kid wailed, lifting his arms, but still laughing as the woman chased him across the deck.

It continued for a good ten minutes before the woman, Nami, finally relented and Tiri looked at the kid with his hat and something clicked in her mind.

"You're Straw Hat Luffy, yes?" she asked with a sly smile.

"Yep," he said puffing out his chest with a grin.

She returned the grin, tilting her head as the lavender curls of her hair curved against her cheek.

"Alright, I'll join," she said, shrugging lightly. The other crew members, except the brunette, fell to the deck with loud thuds and a sharp cry.

"Just like that?" asked the guy with the long nose. "She could be a marine for all we know!"

Luffy looked at him with a frown and turned back to Tiri. "Are you a marine?"

"Nope," she answered truthfully. "I'm actually kind of a pirate myself."

The captain nodded and grinned.

"See?" he said, looking at the others with his hands once more behind his head.

"But," Tiri said, taking the packet out of her satchel. "I need to get these as far away from this island as possible. Can you do that?"

"No problem," Luffy responded, not even curiosity in his gaze, which astonished her immensely, though her face betrayed nothing.

"Alright then," she smiled, stuffing the papers back into her satchel, before stretching her arms high above her head.

The redhead checked the round bauble on her arm and Tiri recognized a Log Pose.

"We need to get going anyway. Let's get ready to set sail. Have you ever been on a ship before?" she aimed the question at the lavender-haired woman, who nodded with a smile.

Nami then extended her hand, which Tiri took in a firm handshake.

"I'm Nami," she said and Tiri nodded politely.

"A pleasure," she responded.

"The pleasure is all mine, Tiri-saaaan," the blond man let out in a sing-song, and Tiri fought not to wince. Suddenly, she was bent backwards, lithe arms sliding around her waist and upper back. She was looking up into soulful eyes, a curly eyebrow arched.

"I am Sanji, slave to your every whim," he purred and it was such a ridiculous statement that Tiri bit her lip trying not to laugh at the man, that was just rude. Just as quickly she was dropped unceremoniously as his nose started to bleed and he was spinning in a strange way.

"What beautiful lips, that she would call my attention to them," he gushed and she furrowed her brow, rubbing her twice thumped rear.

What was with this guy? He had a certain kind of elegance in his bearing, but that…torrential outpouring of exaggerated emotion was just strange. Her musing was interrupted as a really burly arm pulled her up and Tiri was rather amazed at the clank she heard when he straightened, the thick chain around his neck clanging against his chest.

"Franky," he said, pointing to himself before striking a pose that Tiri couldn't help giggling at. "Or should I say, SUUUPPA Franky!"

She shook her head, ringlets tickling her ear and she pushed them back. The long-nosed man that was still looking at her with such suspicion just nodded his head and she returned the gesture.

"I'm Usopp," he said simply and she nodded to him courteously.

The tall brunette approached her with a friendly smile that even reached her lovely blue eyes and they touched palms courteously.

"It is nice to make your acquaintance, Tiri-san. I am Nico Robin."

"Yohohohoho, and I'm Dead Bones Brooke, Sooooooul King!" the skeleton cheerily proclaimed, strumming the guitar in his hands and Tiri jumped back, startled.

"You-you talk?" she squeaked, her skin crawling in an unpleasant way.

"He sings too!" Luffy crowed happily. "You're almost as cool as he is."

Tiri took that as the compliment it was meant to be, before discarding her cloak with a flourish, her hands resting on her hips comfortably. She glanced up at the building at the top of the mast, where the swordsman had disappeared to.

"I take it that man is the infamous Roronoa Zoro?" she asked softly.

"How'd you know?" asked the little furry creature and she whipped her head around, surprised for the umpteenth time that day and caught the faint scent of medicinal herbs wafting amidst the scent of the sea as he waved his arms.

"There are wanted posters of you guys, Doctor Chopper-san," she said as respectfully as possible, making a serious of logical conclusions in her head and watching him squirm in delight at her tone.

"You'll never make me happy like that, idiot," he squealed, wriggling his hips in obvious pleasure.

She turned her attention back to the mast, looking up before rubbing the back of her neck sheepishly. She really had to work on her manners or she was going to wind up in even more trouble next time.

"I guess I didn't exactly make the best impression on him, did I?" her silvery eyes hesitant, an expression that did not seem to entirely fit her.

"He'll forget by dinnertime, the marimo is like that," Sanji said, lighting a new cigarette and flicking the match casually. "Especially towards someone as lovely as you," he grinned.

Tiri chuckled and pivoted on her heel, the torrent of accolades that the blonde man bestowed on her making her feel pleased, if a little uncomfortable. She was starting to form a suspicion that it was a tactic to put her at ease than actual compliments, but she let it go. Her gaze then landed on the navigator.

"So, what's my first task, Nami-san?" she asked with eyes that sparkled.

This had worked out better than she could have planned.

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><p>Within the hour, the Thousand Sunny had smoothly slid out of the harbor, sails unfurled and full with a westward wind. Tiri had followed orders to the letter, moving about the ship like she had at least some acquaintance with its mechanics. Luffy laughed and Nami smiled at her easily, complimenting her on her quick learning.<p>

"I've spent some time with people who were pirates," she said simply, not elaborating, but it explained enough.

Curious, but not really feeling comfortable enough to climb up the mast where the crow's nest lay to speak with the green-haired swordsman, she instead allowed the furry doctor to lead her about the ship, a small smile curving her lips. At least she'd made a good impression on some members of the crew.

Chopper led her to his office first, then all over the ship and Tiri was highly impressed by the ingenuity of the design, telling Franky so at dinner when she learned that he had built it.

"Aw, that's nice of you to say," the big man said with a bright red flush in his cheeks.

Zoro walked in then, his brow arching when he saw her sitting at the table with the others. Sanji immediately jumped him.

"You're late, you shitty marimo," he yelled, but Zoro just grunted and sat down near the end of the table.

"What's she doing here?" he asked of Luffy, jerking his head in her direction, which immediately pissed her off.

"I'm right here, bonehead, you can ask me," she snapped but he ignored her, which only made her madder, but Luffy cut her off unintentionally as she was opening her mouth.

"She's nakama," he grinned and Zoro grunted again, eyeing her sourly before shrugging and digging into his plate.

Tiri could feel the heat rising into her cheeks and bit her tongue hard. She'd deal with it later. Pushing her fury into the back of her mind, she instead forced herself to begin a pleasant conversation with Robin. The woman was incredibly intelligent and Tiri was soon genuinely enjoying herself. She had interests in a wide variety of topics and Robin invited her to spend time in the library and borrow some of her books.

'That's very kind of you, Robin-san," Tiri said with a pleased smile.

"Not at all, it would be nice to have someone else to talk about books with," Robin chuckled.

"Oi, Tiri!" she turned her head to regard her new captain, tilting her head.

"Oi, Luffy!" she grinned, mimicking his tone and making Usopp snort into his drink as the rubber man rubbed the back of his head with a snicker.

"What do you want to do?"

She blinked in confusion before raising a brow and turning to dark-haired woman next to her to elaborate.

"He wants to know your dream," Robin replied to her expression with a soft smile.

Tiri hesitated as the table grew quiet awaiting her answer.


	2. Chapter 2

Tiri frowned and propped her elbows on the table.

"Other than having a place of safety, I'm not sure that I have a dream," she finally answered and Luffy shot her another wide grin.

"That's alright, sometimes you have to figure out what you want," he said, causing several members of the crew to scoot their chairs a bit further from him.

If Luffy was making philosophic sense, then it followed that lightning may very well strike and fry them all.

"Morimo, since you were late, you get to clean up the dishes," Sanji snipped as he placed the dirty plates and utensils in the sink, changing the focus of the conversation, for which Tiri was grateful.

"Since when did you start giving me orders?" the swordsman snarled back.

"I'd be happy to take care of them, Sanji-san," Tiri offered cupping her chin in her palms and smiled at the heart eyes she received for her troubles.

"You're so sweet, Tiri-san, but the shitty marimo gets that dirty job. Besides, I couldn't stand myself if you're beautiful skin got wrinkled from the water," he cooed at her and she shook her head, lilac curls covering her eyes and she pushed them back impatiently. Then the cook's nose started to bleed and she looked at him bewildered as to what she had done to get that reaction when Zoro's voice cut through her thoughts.

"She should do it, ero-cook, since she's the one who took my beri," he grumbled, crossing his arms stubbornly.

"Who asked you," she whipped around, her face resembling something evil and fanged, making Usopp and Chopper cower from her with fear.

"She-She looks just like Nami," they said together, their eyes wide with fright.

Zoro, however, was unfazed, and Tiri gritted her teeth in irritation. It wasn't like she had an option about it, but, then, they didn't know that. She let out a breath.

"I'll do them, Sanji-san. As the new kid, I think I ought to at least try to win some favor with the crew," she joked lightly, winking over at Robin with a smile and raising a challenging brow towards the swordsman.

He just snorted in her direction, rising from the table and striding out the door without another word. Tiri watched him leave before gathering up several plates and bidding the others a good night as they filed out. Except Sanji; he remained behind in an attempt to assist her with the chore.

"I can handle it, Sanji-san, really," she laughed, "It isn't like it's difficult work to clean up after a meal."

"A man should never leave a lady to do his job," he replied firmly and she paused at the sink, giving him an inquisitive look.

"Alright, how about this? You wash, I'll dry, and the task will be done twice as fast," she offered.

"Are you going to insist?" he asked with a playful smile, a cigarette dangling from his lips as he placed the last of the dishes in the sink before rolling up his sleeves.

She responded by picking up one of the dish rags near her hand at the counter and tossed it to him with a cheeky grin as his head turned to look at her when she remained silent. The cloth landed on his face and she covered her laugh with a hand to her mouth before taking the two steps towards him, the trace of cigarette smoke drifting past her nose.

As she lifted her hands to remove the offending fabric, his hands also rose and their fingers met as the cloth was lowered from his face. Something akin to a tiny shock traveled through her hand at the contact and she found herself holding her breath. Silvery eyes widened slightly as she tilted her head back to see his reaction. His face, however, was unreadable. She was struck suddenly, though, by the handsomeness of his face.

It wasn't chiseled, not like that boneheaded swordsman, more refined, but there was gentleness to the eye she could see as he gazed down at her, the notion striking her that she was safe when he was around. It was both comforting and disconcerting. She immediately shook it off, knowing from experience that reliability was a trait earned, not innate. Recovering after a few heartbeats, she immediately withdrew her hand and retreated back to the counter, lifting her own rag to be ready when he finished rinsing.

Sanji watched her for a moment, then, extinguishing his cigarette, turned to the sink and his hands dove into the soapy water. There was an awkward silence then and Tiri racked her brain for a way to end it. Up until that moment, she had felt at least comfortable around the blonde cook. Sanji handed her a freshly cleaned plate and she accepted it, careful to avoid any contact, and started to rub it briskly, wiping away any droplets that lingered on its white surface. Carefully, she placed it on the counter, then another, allowing her mind to blank as she worked.

"I don't usually have any help with this," Sanji broke the silence, attempting to start a conversation to ease the suddenly tense atmosphere.

"Now you will," she replied simply, before wrinkling her nose at an unpleasant aroma floating past her.

She put down the rag in her hand and moved to stand beside the blonde man, leaning over his arm and sniffing distastefully. He looked at her questioningly, his hands stilling, but she simply dipped her fingers into the now dirty water, closing her eyes briefly. The fragrance of lilacs filled the kitchen pleasantly and she removed her hand with a small smile.

"Oi, how'd you do that?" he asked, drying off his hands to light another cigarette and leaning a slender hip against the sink.

She crossed her arms as she mimicked his posture, crossing her legs at the ankles in a casual stance.

"I ate the Lilac-Lilac fruit," she murmured with a shrug, "It isn't exactly the most powerful of fruits out there, nothing like Luffy's or Robin's, but it has advantages."

"Like making everything smell as nice as you do?" he teased as he let out a stream of smoke, his light tone making her relax visibly.

"Something like that," she chuckled, but didn't explicate further.

Without waiting for him to question her further, she reached over and plucked the cigarette from between his lips, lifting it to her own and pulling a deep drag. She handed it back to him, and then pursed her lips, letting out a perfect smoke ring. Sanji watched her, amusement, uncertainty, and curiosity flitting over his features.

"I'm not quite as youthfully innocent as an ability like mine would lead you to believe, Sanji-san," she murmured with a quiet laugh, before sobering a bit, "but I would like to think I'm as good a person as Luffy seems to. I hope I live up to his expectations."

"I think you will. He has an uncanny ability to read people, for the most part," Sanji answered softly, then returned to finish the last of the dishes.

She also picked up her dish rag, resuming where they had left off, only this time the silence was companionable. They worked swiftly and within a few moments, everything was dry and put away. He walked with her out of the galley, allowing her to go first, and onto the deck. Tiri paused, though, and strode across the deck to the railing, staring out towards the sea. She could hear the tap of his hard soled shoes behind her and saw him stand nearby out of the corner of her eye.

"It's nice to be out on the open sea again," she murmured, breathing in the salty air, "It's even nicer to not be confined by narrow streets and tight corners."

"Eh, I imagine so," he returned noncommittally, before giving her a mischievous glance, "You look like a woman who would be on the run."

She laughed, cuffing him lightly on the shoulder.

"I suppose I do at that. It had to have been your first impression when that boneheaded swordsman cornered me on this ship."

His smile faded a little before taking his cigarette between his fingers and tilting his head at her questioningly.

"Did it, Tiri-san? Did it indeed?"

He left her standing by the railing after that comment, bidding her good night with a wave of his hand. She couldn't be entirely sure, but she doubted the more perceptive side of his personality was one that surfaced often. His question puzzled her immensely and she cupped her chin in her hands as she stood for a while, staring out across the sea. It intrigued her, and also made her wonder why he would have even had said it. Did he have a better impression of her than he let on? Did the others? That led to an even deeper probing of the future, one that she was not entirely sure about. Would her newfound nakama accept her? She knew Zoro and Usopp would take some convincing, that was certain. However, if Luffy accepted her, then perhaps, in the end, that would be enough.

Tiri certainly hoped it would be enough. It had been a few years since she had been part of a crew. Back-up might have been helpful in her recent activities, she thought with a heavy sigh, sticking her hand in the pouch strapped to her thigh and pressing her fingertips against the smooth paper. Her brow furrowed as she reflected on the day's events, wondering if the packet beneath the pads of her fingers would even have been worth the effort considering where she had landed today. Letting out another breath, she closed the pouch with a snap and shrugged as she pushed away from the railing. She would figure it out later, for now, she needed to focus on making sure they got as far away from the island as possible, as well as earning her place in the Straw Hat crew.

She breezed across the deck, moving towards the cabins. She hadn't picked one for her own use yet, so she strode to the library, spotting the plush sofa in the moonlight and tugging the blanket that draped across the back down over her with a grunt. The sound of the waves lapping the side of the ship was comforting, memories from a time long past flitting through her mind and she sighed. Rolling onto her side, she curled her legs up and closed her eyes. She was too tired by now to deal with some of the crew's suspicions, the current that had surfaced between her and Sanji unexpectedly, and the rest of the things swirling in her head. Willing the tangled mess to the back of her mind, to untangle later, she let sleep drift over her. The sound of the ships soft creaking and the call of seagulls was the last thing she heard before she allowed herself to quietly slip into slumber.

* * *

><p>Tiri found over the next few days that the rhythm of the Thousand Sunny was easy to follow and she fell into the tempo with little trouble. Robin and Nami had been gracious enough to let her borrow some of their clothes since she only had the one outfit. She shifted, feeling a little exposed in the shirt that the navigator had loaned her and instead put on a different blouse, low-cut, but not as much, keeping Nami's shorts. It made sense to wear something one could easily move in, especially at sea. Feeling more than slightly content that morning, she stepped out onto the deck of the ship with a smile. She was still staying in the library; the stacks of books making her feel the most comfortable anywhere on the ship, except the deck. She adored the soft grass and lying on it in the warm sunshine. It happened to be one of the best places to nap and she was looking forward to basking in the balminess for a bit.<p>

The boneheaded swordsman seemed to think so too and her lips pulled down into a frown as he entered her vision. She turned her head and caught Zoro's eye staring at her impassively. Ignoring his gaze, she turned her face back to the sunlight, arching her back a bit to get more comfortable and almost purred at how warm the rays felt on the exposed skin of her tummy. Tiri let her hands caress the grass, pulling one leg up lazily. There was an orange light behind her eyelids, but it wasn't uncomfortable. Then, blackness suddenly took over and she cracked a storm-cloud colored eye and discovered what had blocked her sunshine.

With a scowl, she shifted across the grass, undulating her hips to move back into the heat of the sun, but the shadow followed her again. She let out an irritated breath and opened both eyes, shoving unruly curls out of her face.

"What is it, Bonehead? I'm not doing anything criminal," she growled up at him, seeing his arms crossed over his chest and his usually grumpy face frowning even deeper than usual.

"Why are you wearing Nami's clothes?" he asked in a tone she couldn't identify and she toyed with not answering him at all, but she shrugged, closing her eyes again.

"She said I could borrow them until I get some more of my own."

"What was wrong with what you had on?" he asked, his single eye raking over her relaxed form irritably. She felt that gaze, but refused to acknowledge it.

"Nothing, except it was all I had and I needed to wash it, so," she gestured to her body and then replaced her hand, stretching further in an attempt to find bone-melting warmth again.

"Why?" she didn't answer this time, certain ignoring him would make him leave her alone at least until dinner time.

Her eyes popped open with surprise when she was lifted clear from the grass by the wrist and pulled to her feet. She opened her mouth to make a biting comment but the look on his features stopped her. Tiri's brow furrowed as he dropped his hand from her wrist, but didn't back away from her. Tilting her head, she considered him, crossing her arms loosely and cocking a hip.

"What's going on in that thick head of yours?" she asked, her tone light and teasing.

"None of your business," he replied gruffly.

"Then why are my clothes yours?" she retorted with a raised brow.

He didn't answer, his good eye downcast at their feet and she bent forward a little to see his face better, his features suddenly covered in shadow. After a few moments of silence, she took a step forward.

"Zoro," she asked softly, concern worming its way into her thoughts. Usually he either disregarded her barbed comments or he fired back, depending on his mood. This…stillness…was unlike him, though, from what she had figured out over the last couple of weeks.

Blinking, she began to believe, was a bad idea around that bonehead.

Tiri felt the air whoosh out of her lungs as she was pushed back into the wall of the lower deck, his hands braced on either side of her head. Silver eyes were wide with shock.

"I want to know exactly why you're here, witch," he growled at her and Tiri felt her temper flaring.

"Because Luffy asked me to be," she snapped back, "and because I could use some friends in my life right now," she finished more softly, her anger leaving her with a hollow feeling.

She reached a hand up to touch his arm near her shoulder, but he jerked back as if the feel of her skin burned him and when she went to take a breath, he was gone.

She let her head fall back against the wood of the wall and she closed her eyes, letting out a very shaky breath. Tiri ran a tremulous hand through her curls and straightened from the wall and stretched out again on the grass once more. Her mind was spinning and lying in the sun had lost its appeal. With a dismissive sniff, she rose, refusing to relinquish her good mood and melted into a small whirlwind of petals, drifting towards the galley.

Feeling playful, she floated towards the kitchen, brushing against the leg of the tall blonde at the sink. Solidifying, she leaned into his back and put her head on his shoulder, standing on tiptoe to see what he was up to. The feel of a female body pressed against his back, though, seemed too much for the cook and his nose started to bleed, his body stiffening. Without thinking, she turned him and grabbed his face with both hands.

"Hey, don't get blood in the food, that's not tasty," she chuckled, but her palms, even gloved, seemed to make the bleeding worse.

Rolling her eyes at the heart eyes she was getting, she still found herself laughing a little. Gently, she pressed a light kiss to his cheek, just because she had really needed the ego boost that he had provided her and reached for a nearby towel, holding it to his nose.

"You've got to learn how to control this, Sanji-san," she smiled warmly, ruffling his hair fondly. They already felt like her nakama.

It didn't seem like he could speak yet, so she just placed his hand on the towel and moved out of the kitchen to sit in one of the chairs, leaning back in it. She easily balanced on two of the legs, but she wouldn't let her mind wander, instead, focusing on counting in her head silently. It kept her occupied until the others started to drift in, the smell of cooked meat drawing Luffy like a moth to the flame. He greeted her with a grin before hopping onto the chair next to her.

"Shishishi," he laughed with a big grin, "whatcha doin' today, Tiri?"

Not being able to resist smiling herself, she lifted her arm and let it melt into petals, and he grabbed at them in absolute delight. Catching one, he gently let it fall again and she tickled his nose with another, other members of the crew watching with varying degrees of amusement. Luffy laughed, then sneezed, wiping his nose.

"That's better than Brooke's music!" he crowed, and she threw back her head, letting out a peal of genuine laughter, the kind that comes right from your belly and just rolls out of your mouth.

Dinner after that was immensely enjoyable and she let petals drift throughout the meal, mostly because Luffy wouldn't let her alone long enough to eat unless she did. The boneheaded swordsman, though, didn't show up, so she turned and ask Franky about it since he was on her immediate left. The cyborg rolled his shoulders in a massive shrug.

"When it's his watch, he tends to skip dinner. Says it keeps him awake."

She nodded quietly, a contemplative expression on her features. Perhaps she would ask Sanji to send a plate of food and some sake up to him as a kind of peace offering. Tiri wasn't exactly sure that it would appease the moody man, but it could be a step in the right direction. Letting the idea drift to the back of her mind, she instead turned to her right and began speaking with Usopp, who was pleased to have an attentive and sympathetic ear to his adventures during the two years the crew had been apart.

One by one, the pirates began to clear out, some munching on the last pieces of dessert as they did so. She rose with a wave to them and started to clear the table with Sanji, a practice that had quickly become a nightly ritual for them. It was one she found soothing, and appreciated having someone to talk to that she was certain accepted her as readily as Luffy. Assuming her usual place at the counter, she handed Sanji a cloth and picked up one of her own. Tonight, however her mind was elsewhere, debating on the situation between her and some of her crewmates. It bothered her that some of them were so against her being part of the Straw Hats, though, in the swordsman's case, the impression he had of her was completely her fault.

"Oi, what's going on under those lilac curls of yours? You look like a kitten that just had its cream stolen," he teased her and she quickly painted on a smile.

"Eh? It's nothing, I'm just too full, I think. You cooked too much," she returned, knowing that a jibe at his cooking would get him riled up enough to distract him.

He proved her wrong, though.

"Don't change the subject, Tiri-san," he scolded her gently, drying off his hands with a small towel before neatly folding it.

"Who's changing the subject? Ah, that reminds me, how is your nosebleed?" she asked, putting down her own towel and stepping closer to inspect him.

"I said, don't change-"

Her hands carefully cupping his face to pull him down to eye level with her. She lightly turned his head to the left, then right, her brows furrowed in concentration as she looked him over. She could see a blush creeping over his cheeks and she smiled warmly at him, releasing him and taking a step back.

"You look better. I hope you don't always have that reaction around me. I won't know to either take it as a compliment or to find some way to make you think I'm unattractive," she joked in a chirpy tone, starting to turn on her heel.

Sanji caught her with hand with his as she was about to leave, his grip firm. As soon as she opened her mouth to protest, he tugged on her hand and pulled her to him, wrapping his long arms around her loosely. He rested his chin on the top of her head and Tiri could do little except stare at the blue shirt he wore beneath his jacket in shock.

"You don't have to pretend around me, Tiri-chan," he murmured, one hand softly stroking her hair.

What could she say to that? Tiri let out a slow breath, forcing her stiff shoulders to relax and swallowed past the lump that had formed in her throat. Her heart was pounding against her chest, first from the fear of being caught and…there was a second reason? Her cheeks heated almost immediately and she shook her head minutely.

"I don't deserve your consideration, Sanji-kun," she whispered, her hands trembling where they were trapped against his lean chest, fearing to actually verbalize what she was truly thinking, though her words were far from being a falsehood.

"Idiot," he chided her, but it made her laugh a little and she breathed in the fragrance of cigarettes and something incredibly sweet.

"I suppose I am," she replied, moving back a tad to look up at him with a small smile, masking the wave of relief washing over her at his easy grin, "But that's what makes me so adorable."

He chuckled, ruffling her hair, before releasing her and lighting another cigarette. Sanji shook out the match, and then tipped up her chin with his thumb and forefinger.

"You don't have to always tell me what bothers you, but," he said quietly, "just be honest enough with me to admit it when something does."

She nodded as an unspoken accord passing between them. On impulse, she stood on tiptoe and pressed a soft kiss to his cheek. He froze as her lips brushed against the stubbled skin and Tiri thought she heard his breath catch. Then she swiftly moved away, flashing him a bright smile as she handed him a dish rag and retreating from the galley. She quickly strode across the moonlit deck and closed the door to the library behind her. Tiri leaned back against the wood, willing her beating heart to calm. What the hell had come over her? He was one of two crewmates who treated her without any judgment and she had just probably jeopardized that by acting on an impulse that was likely going to cause her to lose her closest friend on the Sunny Go.

Letting out an irritated breath, she moved to the shelves, randomly plucking down a book. She carefully opened the tome, leaned over to flick on the lamp that rested on the desk nearby. Tiri tucked her hair behind her ears and propped a fist against her cheek, instantly becoming absorbed in the work before her eyes.

Hours ticked by as she lost herself in the words on the pages, falling asleep close to midnight, her silvery eyes closing as she leaned heavily on her propped arm. As her breathing deepened and her body relaxed, she didn't notice the tall, blonde figure that walked into the room. Seeing her peacefully dozing, they crossed the floor silently. The man was tender, carefully pulling her arm down so as not to wake her and lying her back onto the couch. He flicked off the light and tucked the blanket that had been strewn over her lap up over the rest of her.

Lips twitched as she snuggled into the cover and a quiet eye admired the moonlight playing in the strange-colored strands of her hair. A finger ghosted across her cheek and then, just like a phantom, was gone.

* * *

><p>The sun glittered brightly on the water outside the galley's porthole and Tiri breathed deeply with a grin. Salty air mingled with the delicious aromas bubbling up out of the pot on the stove. The Sunny's cook was casually stirring it counterclockwise, one hand in his pocket while a lit cigarette dangled from the corner of his mouth. She glanced over at him from the corner of her eye as she easily chopped mushrooms with her knife, creating thin slices before sliding them over into a bowl and then down the counter to Sanji. His hand was out and deftly stopping the bowl's spinning without even lifting his eyes from the pot, making Tiri grin in mild amusement.<p>

"Nice reflexes," she murmured, moving the cutting board to rinse in the sink.

She heard him chuckle behind her and smiled, enjoying the companionable contentment that settled in her chest. She was just happy that nothing had changed between them after her impromptu expression of gratitude and affection. Still, she thought it best to not have a repeat, lest the next time prove otherwise. Hmmm…what did she mean by otherwise? Her hands mechanically moved the rag across the board as her thoughts swirled. What could possibly come from such an innocent gesture? What was she trying to make of it? Why was she even worried about this in the first place? Sanji loved all women, why would it change anything between them? She resisted rolling her eyes at the memories of some of his more eccentric antics over Nami and Robin.

Honestly, the man had no restraint-

Tiri jumped when large hands slid down her arms to gently pluck the rag and board from her hands, causing goose bumps to erupt across her flesh and her cheeks to warm at the reaction. She turned her head to look at him over her shoulder and found him smiling amiably at her. But…there was something different in his expression today….

"I think you're going to scrub the poor thing until it becomes brittle at the rate you're going," he said softly with a grin, setting the items aside.

He reached around her to turn off the tap, but otherwise made no motion to move away.

"Um, Sanji," she said his name huskily, unable to bring her voice to say it in a louder octave.

"Hmm?" he asked with an absent expression, one of his hands suddenly coming up to rest on her hips.

She could feel his warm breath fanning the skin at the nape of her neck as he brushed her lavender curls to one side, the bare touch of his fingertips against her skin making her shiver.

"What-What about the stew?" she managed to whisper, her tongue feeling like clay in her mouth when those slender digits kept dancing lightly across her bared neck.

He didn't answer right away, his other hand becoming highly distracting as his thumb slipped under the hem of her t-shirt to trace lazy circles on the soft flesh he found there.

"It's not going to go anywhere," he murmured with a light laugh near her ear and his body pressed against hers a little closer, "And neither am I."

His hands were making little jolts of electricity sing across her skin and she found herself gripping the edge of the sink with white knuckles when his lips softly grazed her ear. Kami, he was driving her insane and he had hardly touched her. She found herself wanting to know what else his hands could do.

* * *

><p>Tiri cracked open an eye as sunlight forced its way into the room. She shook her head to clear the remaining cobwebs of sleep and stretched, her back cracking audibly.<p>

It had been a dream, but, dear Kami, what a dream. There was an ache low in her body, and she stubbornly disregarded it. As she threw back the blanket she didn't remember crawling under and shuffled across the floor towards the bathroom, she came to a quick conclusion. The dream was meant to show that everything would be fine between Sanji and herself, despite her impulsiveness, as well as a reminder that she was human just like everyone else. She could be physically attracted to a man without it having to affect anything.

And she pointedly chose to ignore any other ways of interpreting it.


	3. Chapter 3

Two days, one even spent stopped at the latest island for supplies, and she hadn't seen one blonde hair of the man. Admittedly, she had been avoiding the galley, not looking forward to having to speak about the incident in the kitchen. She hadn't been that hungry either over the last couple of days. Perhaps she really had driven him off. Nibbling on her lip in irritation, she threw the towel she had brought up across the long seat ringing the room and moved to the weapon's rack. Selecting two gleaming daggers, she cleared a space in the center of the room. Tiri's motions appeared smooth, practiced, as she adopted a stance, one arm raised above her right shoulder and the other closer to her hip.

She listened, the day quiet except for the sound of the waves crashing into the hull, the occasional squawk, and Luffy's playful yelling as he chased Usopp around the ship. She swept the blades as she pivoted, the hand postures reversed. Then, a jab to the right, left, spun, thrust back, high kick….

The motions increased in speed, power as she danced through one routine, then another. Her limbs flowed, tossing the daggers high as she let her eyes drift shut, listening to the rhythm of her body. Deftly, she caught them. Something invaded on her senses, though. Tiri could feel a presence, left?

No, near the doorway.

Viciously, she twisted her upper body, flinging the daggers and they spun end over end before thudding dully into the wall. Mercurial eyes opened to see the hilts quivering, as the cause of her unrest stood with a mildly amused expression, a cigarette between his lips and a tray of food in his hands.

"If you didn't want something to eat, you could have just said something," he joked, his lips twitching and she bit her own lip to keep from giggling.

"Would you have listened to me if I had?" she asked with a small smile.

She walked across the room, her hips swaying gently and she could have sworn she saw his eyes flicker down to follow their rolling motion, but she wasn't certain. Instead, she tugged on the blades, pulling them free from their wooden sheathe and returning them to the rack as Sanji set down the tray on the seat that curved around the walls.

"Really, Tiri-san, do you think I would ignore the request of a lady?" he asked, the twinkle in his eye in direct contrast to the offended scowl he displayed.

"Possibly, it depends on your motivations," she teased and he held a hand to his heart, as if wounded.

She laughed quietly, settling cross-legged on the floor and pulling the tray towards her, delighted at the delicious aromas wafting to her nose. Tiri gestured to the seat nearby and Sanji accepted her invitation, gazing out the window with a cigarette between his fingers, raising it to his lips occasionally to take a drag. Well, maybe she hadn't made a complete idiot of herself after all. That thought was naturally followed by the one that said she was an idiot for worrying about the whole thing like some kind of moonstruck teenager. She scowled, noting that she was just an idiot no matter how she thought about it. She pecked at her food, still not really hungry, but eating for Sanji's sake. After all, he was trying to take care of her, even if she neglected herself at times. Feeling that she had eaten as much as possible, she set the tray aside and rose.

"Thank you, Sanji-kun, it was lovely."

He eyed her then and she was a little unnerved by the stoic aspect of his gaze as he looked down at her hardly touched lunch then back up at her. Why did she have the sneaking suspicion that his perceptive side was about to make an appearance and that she was going to like it less and less as the days went by? Letting out a stream of smoke, he flicked the butt of his cigarette out the window and stood, his hands in his pockets.

"You didn't finish," he said quietly, the low tone causing a shiver to chase down her spine.

"I'm full," she protested, patting her midriff with a large, fake smile before turning away to resume her practice, determined for that to be the end of the conversation.

Suddenly he was in front of her, a slender finger poking her in the belly with a bored expression.

"You're not going to be very effective in a fight with an empty stomach," he murmured with a glint in his eye. Apparently he wasn't going to take no for an answer either.

Damn the man and his sneaky astuteness.

"I'm fine, Sanji, thank you," she groused, stepping back and smoothly somersaulting away, "Now let me work."

Her only warning was the scent of cigarette smoke drifting in the air.

Tiri braced her feet, closing her eyes and breathed deeply. She exhaled and lifted her leg in a high kick, but was stunned when she felt resistance. Silvery eyes popped open to see her knee embedded in his chest. She swiftly withdrew, her face heating in embarrassment, though she couldn't exactly say why.

"Oi, what's the big idea?" she asked, her voice so high that it sounded like a squeak.

His eyes had taken on a strange look and he crossed his arms, bending his head briefly before raising it again.

"You didn't finish," he repeated, nearly growling and she took a step back, the fierceness of his tone surprising her.

Instinct kicked in and she turned blindly on her heel, scooting back across the room, but she wasn't fast enough. Sanji appeared in front of her and she skidded to a stop.

"How-" she didn't get to ask the question, her brain working faster than her mouth and she darted left.

He mirrored her movement, reaching out with one hand to wrap it firmly around her wrist while the other arm snaked its way around her waist, pulling her slightly smaller frame to him. Tiri found herself flush against him, effectively pinned in place and unable to move. For a man that relied on his legs to fight, he had a surprisingly strong grip. If she had stopped to think about it, the situation would have probably struck her as incredibly humorous. As it was, as soon as their bodies touched, she found herself unable to form a complete thought, the heat emanating from him in waves immensely distracting and driving the ability clear out of her head.

"Sanji," she said huskily, confused by the anger she could see etched into his features.

"You barely eat, you're constantly on edge, and you've been avoiding me for two days," he said with a low voice, one that held an edge to it that bit deep, "Do you deny it?"

"I-I-," she stammered, unable to neither deny the accusations nor find an appropriate answer.

To admit to it would be admitting that she was afraid. To refute it would be a lie. What should she say? What could she say? She could no longer meet his gaze, dipping her head to hide both the burning crimson of her cheeks and the emotions she knew were churning in her eyes. Silently, he tipped her chin back up, his thumb gently stroking against the curve of her jaw.

"What was it that you promised to me? Will you now break that promise?" he asked, his voice rough and she shook her head vigorously.

"Its…hard, for me to talk to anyone about what goes on in my head," she whispered, her eyes still not meeting his, "even to you, Sanji-kun."

This was not a lie, but a carefully constructed truth. It was hard for her to speak her thoughts to someone else, even though she had found it easy to talk with Sanji about almost anything. But did he need to know the way his smile made her stomach flip or how electricity seemed to shock her when their fingers had touched? Did he need to know that he was starting to invade her dreams?

"I know I said I wouldn't make you tell me what bothered you, but can you tell me why?"

His question broke her reverie. She shook her head again, biting her lip.

He let out a breath, releasing her chin and nodding sadly.

"I suppose I'll have to accept that for now."

Her chest ached at the pained expression on his face. The realization hit her then that he trusted her; trusted her implicitly and she had let him down in that regard by breaking the promise she had made to him. That knowledge coupled with guilt and she could feel her body almost wilting under the weight of it. She had wronged him and they both knew that. What surprised her, though, as she lifted her head to look into his face, was the lack of judgment, the acceptance he had granted her as blatant as the first day they had met. Still, she had hurt him, never mind that it was unintentional. He deserved better than that, a better friend than her.

Without thinking, she touched her hand to his cheek, feeling the stubble rasping against her palm. He really was a sweet man. Sanji looked down at her with wonder as her silver eyes met the one she could make out through the blond strands.

"Tiri-chan," he murmured and she tilted her head a little.

Then, still refusing to think it through, she stood on her tiptoes, pressing her lips to his cheek softly. He made a sound of surprise, his eyes widening and stood very still. His hands settled on the curve of her waist as she moved her lips to his other cheek, pressing them softly there. It was hesitant, but full of an emotion that Tiri had no words for. Her fingers came to rest against his chest, curling into the lapels of his jacket. Her heart was pounding and she vaguely registered that his was beating just as hard. She heard his breath catch when her lips feathered against his jaw as she drew back.

It was at that moment that the sharp odor of blood wafted into her awareness and she swiftly broke away from him, grabbing a napkin from her tray and pressing it quickly to his nose. His breathing was a little uneven, as was hers, at just that brief contact, though his face was probably a much deeper shade of red. Sanji opened his mouth to speak, but she cut him off.

"I'm sorry," she said breathlessly, before a twinkle began to dance in her eye, "Apology accepted?"

"Yes, I think so," he replied after clearing his throat, "Now will you please eat the rest of your food? So I stop worrying and you can fight properly when the time comes?"

Shaking her head at his single-minded persistence, she agreed. Once she was certain the bleeding had stopped, she lowered her hand and sat down to finish the meal he had prepared for her. Sanji nodded, his mission accomplished and he left down the ladder with a pleased smile. Tiri chewed thoughtfully, for once allowing her mind to explore the avenues it desired. Something that she had rarely indulged in, as the trains of thought usually wandered down paths she would rather not discover in any depth. Well, at least the weight in the pit of her stomach had lifted. Maybe a little too high, she suspected, by the fluttering sensation that was lingering even after he had disappeared down the hatch. Shaking away the contemplative mood and the aftermath of another impulsive move abruptly, she rose and retrieved the daggers she had been training with.

* * *

><p>Tiri easily fell back into her routine, playfully flipping forward and before, she knew it, she was performing tumbles and somersaults with a huge grin, enjoying herself immensely. She justified herself that she needed to keep limber. As she indulged in a handstand walk across the room, she happened to glance in the direction of the hatch, freezing when she saw a moss-colored head watching her with a smirk.<p>

"Fancy, but hardly effective," he said with his eye closed and his head bowed in a sage-like manner.

She scowled, finding her feet and wiping sweat from her forehead. Certain ignoring him would make him go away, she still couldn't resist firing back,

"It wasn't meant to impress you."

"Obviously," he replied with a bored expression.

Tiri lifted her daggers and proceeded to resume her initial training with her back to him, closing her eyes once more. As she moved to strike before her, she was met with resistance, a sharp clash of metal screeching in her ears. Her eyes snapped open and she drug her dagger down the katana blocking her, slipping beneath it neatly and thrusting forward. Another katana blocked the move and she jumped back. He held a blade in each hand, that damnable smirk still playing around his lips. She glared at him and straightened, wary.

"What do you want, Bonehead?" she growled at him, anger rising in her chest, making her cheeks flush.

"Let's see how much of a challenge you really are," he replied, shouldering one sword with a shit-eating grin and setting her teeth on edge.

"Apparently, you don't think I'm much of one," she snapped and he shrugged.

"I'm bored."

He blinked when she melted into petals, the lilac fragments swirling around him as he looked around, his guard instantly going up. Sensing an attack from behind, he turned, blades crossed, just as two razor sharp daggers swept down. Sparks flew and he glowered at the cheap shot.

"Far be it for me to disappoint you then," she snarled, slipping away once more, leaving behind a soft floral scent.

The petals spun away, flitting across his face and he was momentarily blinded. Not enough to lower his guard, however and he met her next strike, only her hands and the daggers they held solid.

He yawned. "I'm still bored," he drawled lazily.

She didn't take the bait as the rest of her materialized. She was smiling sweetly and he raised a brow, his face adopting its usual grumpy expression. Without warning, she broke their lock, disappearing in a flurry of petals and flew past him and he cursed at the bug-like stings as they touched his exposed flesh. She solidified again, idly tossing one knife up and down. He wiped at one cheek with an arm, seeing tiny red dots speckling the sleeve of his robe.

Her lips were curved as he looked back up to her. The expression had changed and he started to grin at her in earnest. Tiri frowned and tilted her head, quickly assuming a defensive posture at that look. He shrugged out of the sleeves, letting it fall around his waist.

"What's so funny, Bonehead?" she queried.

He chuckled, a low, rumbling laugh that made a tingle of trepidation trail down her spine.

"I'm not bored anymore."

Tiri took a step back, the glint in his eye as he grinned at her a barely harnessed wildness. For the first time, she understood exactly what she had been provoking all this while.

Ah, well, when had she backed away from poking the proverbial Sea King in the eyeball?

Her gaze narrowed as she shifted her stance, feet braced far apart. She stepped left, slowly circling her opponent as his predatory gaze lazily followed her movements. Twisting at her waist, she led with her right.

He disappeared before her eyes.

She stopped short, head whipping back and forth frantically. Instinctively, she spun, blocking with crossed daggers as he struck from behind. The force of the blow sent her flying backwards, and she stabbed the points of her blades into the floor, leaving two deep grooves as she slowed to a stop just before slamming into the wall. There was a deep gash on her left arm. The trickle of blood was hot against her skin and she grimaced. Her breath was coming in short gasps but he didn't even look like he had exerted any effort.

Bastard.

Wincing, she shakily stood, the left dagger clattering to the floor uselessly. Tiri still managed to glare as she turned her back, dropping the other knife and moved to grab the towel she had brought with her. Swiftly, she wrapped her arm and flexed the makeshift bandage experimentally, scowling at the strange feel of slightly exposed muscle. She turned to him then and wasn't surprised to see that cranky expression on his face. Zoro sheathed his katanas and walked over to her.

Tiri jumped when he grabbed her arm and unwrapped the wound.

"H-Hey, you Bonehead, what're you-"she started to ask.

"Shut up, witch, and let me see," he interrupted, sliding his hand to her wrist and tugging her forward as he sat on the bench.

She stood between his knees as he leaned close to take a good look, close enough that she could feel the breath he exhaled tickling her arm. Her cheeks were hot from embarrassment, but he didn't seem to notice the flush staining them. His grip was firm, but not uncomfortable. He turned her limb gently, inspecting the red gash before rewrapping it and tying it tightly.

"You should know better than to try that kind of defense with someone who's reach is longer than yours," he scolded her as his hands finished their task.

"It was instinct," she protested as he let her arm drop and she snatched it to her chest like he had burned her.

"Your instincts need to give you better directions," he muttered, leaning back with his arms tucked behind his head.

"Like you have any room to talk about instincts and directions?" she shot back with a glare.

He didn't deem it worth the effort to retort, apparently, so she let it go.

"Are you offering what it sounds like," she queried, uncertain whether to be relieved that he was making an attempt at civility or insulted that he didn't consider her worth the time to really fight.

She decided on relief. Being irked at him wasn't going to be helpful.

"Come on, witch, you need to learn how to handle a blade if you're going to be any help in a fight," he grumbled at her as he stood, reaching down to give her daggers to her hilt first.

"I can handle blades just fine, Bonehead. I made you bleed," she protested.

"Maybe so, but that wasn't the weapons of your hands," he replied, nudging her foot with his, making her shift her position.

"Keep your feet wide apart, braced. Make sure your balance is centered. More than that, make sure your stance is firm. Picture yourself as a carving of stone," he spoke in a softer tone now, coaxing her to follow his instructions with gentle prodding.

"I know this part," she growled impatiently.

"Apparently not, idiot, if I could push you back so easily."

Alright, she had to give him that. Resisting the urge to mutter under her breath, she relaxed as he circled her, inspecting her stance critically. Then she tensed again, as she felt his hands move to her hips from behind, shifting her, then moving to her shoulders.

"Stop slouching, hunched over like that doesn't protect your vitals at all," he chided her, holding one hand at her hip to keep her lower body still, while the other brushed away the curls draped from her ponytail to tug at her shoulder.

She followed the touch, straightening her back and pushing her shoulders back. She turned her head to look at him over her shoulder with a frown.

"I feel exposed standing like this," she groused, but his raised brow silencing her objections.

He moved back to stand in front of her, lifting a brow with a smirk.

"You're hardly exposed at the moment," he said, apparently having noticed her t-shirt and long pants, the look making her scowl at him irritably.

Theirs was not going to be a companionable relationship, this she could easily discern.

Zoro nudged the back of her knee with the hilt of his katana and she stirred, while his left hand reached over to guide hers to cover her chest. The other hand he moved to rise above her head.

"Always have one hand on guard. The way you fight, you'll need more defense than I would," he muttered and she glared at the wall petulantly. That sounded dangerously close to an insult. He was speaking again and she tried to pay attention.

"Now, your right hand is dominant, despite being ambidextrous, so keep it forwards," he continued.

"No shit," she griped and his hand reached around to the flesh of her arm and pinched, making her squeak.

"Pay attention, witch, you might learn something," he retorted with a snort.

"Not likely," she whispered and jumped when he pinched her again.

"Be quiet. Now, follow my lead."

She obeyed as he took up a position, thrusting her right arm forward, before slowly pivoting.

"Very good, now step here," he murmured and she shadowed him, their bodies working in almost seamless synchronization.

The sun traveled slowly across the sky as they trained, her body flowing in time to his.

"These motions feel familiar," she said quietly as he manipulated her body through sight into learning the techniques he attempted to teach her.

"Really?" he asked, his tone flat as he concentrated, only half hearing her words.

"Yes," she replied as she thrust her arms back, "it's like when I float on the breeze as petals. The currents move me to their whim, but…"

She trailed off.

"What?" They moved to the left, twisting her upper body in a dodge.

"But," she continued with a small smile, "the currents still serve my purpose."

He nodded.

"You understand turning the environment to your advantage. You should know, though, that it can't always be the case."

"I do know that, you Bonehead," she snarled, still following his movements.

"Apparently you don't, if that provocation pissed you off that much."

Point two to the swordsman, dammit.

"Alright, so I'm not the most experienced," she admitted.

"You'll learn," was the clipped response.

She smiled then, ridiculously pleased that he at least thought she had potential.

* * *

><p>It was Tiri's turn to watch that night, so she took a plate of food up to the crow's nest and neatly balanced on the rail on her haunches. It was a habit she had since childhood. Cupping her chin in her hands, she watched the darkening horizon, her eyes taking in the sight even as her mind was busy elsewhere.<p>

At least she had learned a few new moves she could practice. Maybe, after a few days, she could approach the bonehead to teach her more, though she wasn't certain that he would want to. Then her thoughts turned to Sanji, her fingers unconsciously tracing the contours of her lips. Tiri groaned, burying her face in her hands. This was only going to make waves amongst the others; she knew it, whatever this was. She breathed deeply and raised her eyes back to the line where sky met sea. It was better to face difficulties in the light of day; they didn't seem so overwhelming then.

Tiri nibbled on a piece of fruit as she scanned the sky. Nami warned that the atmosphere was perfect for a storm. She saw it then, the clouds gathering to the east and she whistled low and loud, leaning over to look down at the deck. She could see Franky burst out of the door leading to the engine room.

"Oi, Franky! Nami was right, it's coming!" she yelled over the rising wind.

He shouted something back at her but, she couldn't hear him. She just shook her head and retreated to climb down the ladder. There was no time for thinking, just action and she bolted across the wooden deck, the pounding of her boots matching the dull thud of her heartbeat as adrenaline kicked in. Lightning struck out of nowhere, a crackle of powerful energy that blasted out of the sky to hit the wooden deck in front of her. She let out a scream as light blinded her, throwing herself backwards out of harm's way. She landed on her back, the wind knocked out of her. Thunder roared overhead, but when she blinked, she couldn't see anything.

Panicked, she sat up, feeling around sightlessly, her hand touching a wall, she thought. Standing on wobbly legs, she let her hand stay on the wood and she never touched air. Yes, it was the wall. There was no way that she could climb down though, not blind, it was too easy to slip and fall right into the churning sea, a sure death. She couldn't transform either; the gusts from the storm were too forceful, blowing her curls across her face. Cursing under her breath, she followed the curve of the wall.

Suddenly large hands were on her shoulders, gripping hard and she was lifted off her feet and jerked sideways and into someone's arms.


	4. Chapter 4

"What-" she exclaimed, the scent of cigarettes confirming who had grabbed her.

"What're you waiting for, Tiri-chan, it's dangerous up here," she heard Sanji's deep voice near her ear, speaking loud to be heard over the roar of thunder as his arms encircled her.

"Sanji? I can't see, a lightning strike blinded me, I think," her voice sounded panicked even to her own ears and she cursed inwardly.

She felt gentle fingers touch her face simultaneously as she felt the air rush past her as she was carried, the rapid fall of his footsteps echoing even in the fury of the storm. Suddenly her stomach dropped and she knew they were in mid-air. Tiri was never one to be even remotely afraid of heights, but being unable to see caused her fingers to clutch the rain dampened material of his jacket in trepidation. Suddenly, she jolted and the rapid steps reached her ears once more. Then the rain stopped pelting her and it sounded slightly muffled. The aroma of books and paper assaulted her nostrils and she guessed they were in the library.

She was set on her feet and she pushed back wet curls out of her face. She felt cool hands envelop hers and she tilted her head back, feeling his presence in front of her and hoping she was at least looking in his general direction. Her silver eyes darted left and right rapidly and then there was a light pressure against her cheek.

"Can you see anything?" he asked and she shook her head, anxiety causing her throat to feel tight.

"No," she whispered and shivered, goose bumps erupting across her body.

"Come on, let's get you into something warm."

She heard him rummaging around, then footsteps and soft, warm material being pressed into her hands.

"Here, change clothes, I'll keep my back turned."

"You'd better, I'll know if you peek by the sound of the blood gushing," she teased weakly and he chuckled.

"I'll keep that in mind."

She grinned, fumbling with the wet clothing and tugging it off to throw it with a sodden slap across the room. Shuddering in the damp and chilly air, she swiftly pulled on the new outfit, pleased to feel long sleeves and pants covering her limbs. She turned her head to look over her shoulder, blinking rapidly in the hopes that she could make out something in the blackness.

"Hey," she said softly, "I can make out shapes."

She heard footsteps approaching and felt his body near her left shoulder, where she had her neck craned in a vain attempt to see him.

"That's good, the blindness isn't permanent then," he muttered, relief clearly discernible in his tone as she listened to him strike a match.

She could see him lighting the cigarette in her mind's eye, his hand covering the light out of habit as his head bent to catch the flame. She jerked back when she felt fingertips near her eyes.

"Relax, I just want to see -," he paused, "I mean, I'm checking your eyes for any outer damage. You might have wood splinters in or near your eyes and not noticed."

"Nice save there," she said with a wry smile and a soft snicker.

He didn't respond, but she could picture his grin all the same. His touch was gentle, carefully probing around her eyes for anything that may have embedded itself in her skin.

"Seems clear," he muttered, though he didn't lower his hands.

She nodded, enjoying the feel of his somewhat calloused digits softly moving against her skin. Without her sight, Tiri found that she was becoming hyper sensitive to touch and sound; at least, it was the reason she told herself. His thumbs softly trailed across her high cheekbones, tracing their contours as his other fingers brushed against the sensitive flesh of her neck, making her shudder.

"Are you still cold, Tiri-chan?" he asked her, his voice low and she shook her head slightly.

A thought struck her at that precise moment and she twisted around to place her hands about where she guessed his chest was. Tiri was on the mark and frowned at the soggy feel of his jacket under her digits.

"You can't stay in this suit, you'll catch a cold for sure," she chided him gently; nimble fingers making swift work of the buttons that held the jacket closed.

"Oi, Tiri-chan, what're you-"

"Relax," she interrupted him with a cheeky smile, "I'm used to opening things in the dark."

His hands dropped from her features and swiftly covered hers in an attempt to stop her, but she dexterously slipped from his grasp and continued her work, reaching the last button. She slid her hand up his lean chest, trying not to pay any special attention to the muscles she could feel beneath the shirt and pushed the wet jacket from his shoulders. Without further preamble, she immediately started on his shirt buttons, but he quickly trapped her hands in one of his larger ones before she could undo more than the third button.

"Tiri," he murmured, his voice sounding strained and it gave her pause. She lifted her head.

"What?" she asked quietly.

He didn't answer and they stood there in silence, the thunder's booming resonance fading into the background till neither was aware of it. She could feel him move the tiniest bit closer to her and Tiri was aware that her heart was hammering in her chest harder than the rain that drummed across the deck. A flush crept up into her cheeks as she realized what he must have been thinking and she briefly wondered why his nose hadn't immediately started bleeding at the contact. Perhaps that was why he had stopped her?

Curious, she tugged one hand free, lifting it to touch his face, near his nose and she tilted her head. He must have figured out what she was wondering.

"When I know it's you, the thoughts are…different. I mean, you're beautiful, just like Nami-san…well- I- what I mean is-" his stammering made her smile and she shushed him with a finger against his lips before he dug himself a hole he couldn't get out of.

Tiri let her fingers move over his cheek, much like his had done to her previously, except that she swept up to touch the soft strands of his hair. They were damp and she frowned, trailing her hand back down till just two fingers rested on his chin. He was very still and she had the impression that he was watching her closely. Her lips twitched and she quietly stepped back, taking him by the hand. She knew the layout of the room, so she led him to the couch, tugging on the blanket she slept under and offering it to him.

"At least take off the shirt and pants. You can wrap up in this and don't worry," she teased him with a grin, "I won't peek either. Not that I can at the moment."

He chuckled and she sat cross-legged on the sofa, turning her head to listen to the storm rage outside the window.

"I hope the others are managing without us," she said softly and felt the cushions give as he sat next to her.

"They'll be fine, they've weathered storms like this with fewer crewmates before," he replied and she nodded.

Without warning, she was pulled against his bare chest, the warmth of his skin seeping into her back, driving away the chill that still lingered around her body. Tiri tried not to think too much about his near nudity right behind her, instead forcing her traitorous mind to focus on counting the seconds between thunder claps. His chin rested on her shoulder as he wrapped the blanket around them.

"Fastest way to get warm that I know of," he said into her ear and she laughed, leaning back into his loose embrace, feeling some of the tenseness drain away at his light teasing.

"Oldest trick in the book, my friend," she replied and she could feel his smile against her cheek.

"Oi, don't knock what works," he protested.

When she turned to reply, their lips brushed and both froze.

Several heartbeats passed and they remained where they were, her still blind mercurial eyes searching his face as his did hers. Neither pulled away for a heartbeat. It felt as if tiny currents of electricity where dancing across her lips where they touched his. His hand slid across her stomach gently as he pulled her closer to him, soft curves molding against his more muscular frame.

But she became aware of a strange coppery smell.

Tiri pulled back and swiftly tugged the corner of the blanket up to cover Sanji's nose.

"The," she said huskily, "thoughts are different, eh?"

He smiled helplessly, lifting his hands as a flush crept into his face and Tiri was pleased to note that she could see it.

"Well, mostly," he admitted, then sobered, lowering his gaze, "I'm sorry, Tiri-chan, I-"

She silenced him with a quick, chaste kiss to his cheek, removing the corner of the blanket before pulling back and holding the material to his nose firmly. After a few moments, the bleeding stopped and she lowered the blanket.

"There, better?"

He nodded, not elaborating and she figured that if he spent too much time thinking about what had just happened, the bleeding would start again, so she dropped the subject. Instead, she curled into his chest, finally warm, and together they watched the rain fall in silence.

* * *

><p>Tiri kept up with the swordsman's training and nothing further happened for the next week. She worked hard on what he called her form. According to the bonehead, she needed more confidence when facing an opponent, to overcome her instinct to simply melt away. All of this, of course, had been told to her at the end of one of his wickedly sharp katanas, which did not endear him to the lavender-haired woman at all.<p>

"I'm not a swordsman like you, Bonehead, so our strategies are going to be different," she had finally snapped after a particularly brutal session.

She had absolutely made Luffy's day when she had floated down in her petal form and plucked Chopper from the deck, gently carrying him up to the nest for bandaging. After the reindeer had gotten past his terror, Luffy had immediately shot up to see what else she was going to do. He left disappointed however, when she just sat still and let the doctor work. She thanked him for his work and he blushed as she carefully set him down on the swing, and then resumed her training with Zoro.

In frustration, she broke from the lock as Zoro had instructed her, but did not resume her stance, glaring at him pointedly while trying to even her breathing. He shouldered one of his swords, returning her glare with his normal cranky expression.

"What is it with you, today, witch?" They had reverted back to their original disdainful attitudes towards one another.

Tiri didn't answer, twisting her upper body and throwing her daggers to thud quivering into the wall behind her. Without a word, she strode to the rack nearby and withdrew two wooden swords. One she tossed to Zoro who caught it easily, the other, she spun lazily, a motion that proved she was at least familiar with the larger blade. The swordsman sheathed his katanas.

"Let's do something different today," she said, whipping around and holding the pointed end out towards him, her posture one of challenge as she smirked self-assuredly.

He snorted, closing his eye and shaking his head.

"You're not ready for that kind of training," he said coolly.

She struck before he raised his head, but he still blocked the blow with the training sword as it came from the side.

"Maybe so, but how's this beating going to be different than the others I've been taking?" she countered.

His lips twitched as he vanished with barely a flurry of movement. Tiri had been watching him when he did that, and she thought she had worked out his pattern of attack. She parried to the left.

It had been a while since she was that wrong.

He moved in on the right, Tiri having fallen into his feinted trap and struck her with the flat of the stick and she cursed. The flesh of her rump stung from the hit and she rubbed at it ruefully.

"That," he said as he leaned against the wall, a smile playing around his lips, "was for being cocky."

"You just said I was not confident enough," she snarled back, her cheeks flushing with her wounded pride.

"There's-"

"I know, I KNOW," she bit out, cutting him off with a sneer, "There's a balance to it, just like everything else you've been teaching me."

"Apparently, you don't and," he disappeared again and she quickly tried to put her back to a wall, but failed, the blade smacking her again on her rear, making her yelp, "stop talking and start listening, for a change, witch."

That did it.

Growling, she spun, intent on at the very least taking off his smug head. Unfortunately, all she managed was to wear herself out over the next hour. Panting heavily, she tossed the training sword to the floor, following it closely. With a sigh, she spread herself out on the floor, the coolness of wood on her back a balm. Silvery eyes closed and she focused on breathing through her nose.

"That's the first thing you've gotten right today. If you've figured out how to breath properly, maybe there's hope for you," his voice rumbled from somewhere to the right.

"Bite me, Bonehead," she muttered tiredly, too exhausted to argue with him.

Suddenly something had pinned her arms down, a heavy weight settling across her legs and she opened her eyes, startled. He held her down, the look in his eye enough to make her pause and carefully rethink what she had just said.

"Is that an order or a request, witch?" he asked calmly and leaned down until she could feel his warm breath fanning the skin of her neck, "Either one can be arranged."

Before she could formulate a scathing retort, there was yelling from below. She shoved hard against his shoulder with a scowl and he chuckled evilly, letting her up.

"Oi, Zoro, Tiri, there's an island ahead, come see!" Nami's sharp tone floated up on the breeze and they both immediately made their way out to the railing.

Tiri shaded her eyes and looked westward, spotting what looked like a great lump of brown in the distance. She turned slightly at the hip to consider Zoro.

"What kind of island do you think it is?" she queried and he just shrugged.

"Does it matter? It won't be anything we can't handle."

She just let out a small hmm, lightly hopping up and crouching on the railing.

"Bonehead," she muttered, rising and walking to the ladder. Melting into lilac scented blossoms, she floated down, materializing next to a hopping Luffy, Zoro landing lightly right next to her.

"There you guys are, what took so long?" the Captain yelled at them as he practically wiggled in excitement. "Did you see it? It's a giant sand hill! I'm gonna roll down it and Franky's gonna shoot me up to the top to do it again! He says he'll even build a ramp!"

"Slow down, Luffy, you'll wear yourself out before you even get started," Tiri laughed, walking past him and tugging his hat down over his eyes fondly to stand at the railing with the others.

There was something odd about this island though, she thought. Apparently Robin thought so to, the older woman's blue eyes unfocused as she stared over the water.

"It's strange, isn't it? A sand hill in the middle of the ocean," the lavender-haired pirate asked and Robin nodded absently.

"Yes, it is very odd. It might have flesh easting sandworms."

"Well, there's a pleasant thought," Tiri teased, making the other woman smile softly.

"Tiri-chan, Robin-chan, I made some delicious drinks for you," Sanji's warm voice cut through their conversation and Tiri gratefully accepted, sipping the fruity concoction, rewarding the cook with a playfully blown kiss, his heart eyes making her bite her lip to keep from laughing. She was starting to think that her initial suspicion that the enamored attitude was an act to keep the women of the ship in good spirits was the correct one. While she could appreciate that, the idea of one of the other two being…she shook her head, her thoughts enough to set her teeth on edge.

The taste of strawberries exploded on her tongue and she sighed in pleasure, momentarily letting go of her darker thoughts.

"Oi, what're you staring at Tiri-san like that for, you shitty marimo?" Sanji yelled, coming out of nowhere and the swordsman spun on his heel with a red face.

"None of your business, you nosy ero-cook!" he shouted back and Tiri shook her head.

As they neared the island, Tiri turned to her captain who was hopping up and down at the rail next to her in excitement.

"Oi, Luffy! Brooke and I are the lightest, why don't we go on ahead and scout it out? If there's anything really bad, we'll come get to beat it up for us on the Mini Merry," she asked, half joking.

Luffy stilled and scratched his head a moment before breaking out into a wide grin.

"Eh? Alright, but don't climb the hill before I get there!"

"Deal, see you there," she smiled and turned to Brooke. "Shall we?"

"Of course, my lady, Yohohohoho," he replied, offering her his arm gallantly. She took it and spotted Zoro adopting his grumpy expression again.

As their bickering escalated, Brooke hopped onto the water, his light body and quick feet sending up a spray of water as he dashed for the island. Tiri, more graceful, easily stepped onto the railing and leapt into the air, bursting into a fragrant plume of petals and drifting on the westward wind after him.

She landed gently on the hot sand, grateful for the thick soles of her leather boots as Brooke met her.

"Well, this doesn't seem too terrible, except for the endless sand and the heat and the incline all the way around," she groused and the skeleton nodded.

"Perhaps we should still have a look about."

"Agreed, lead the way."

Tiri followed the musician along the shoreline, keeping one eye on the sand and the other on the approaching Sunny. A scent drifted past her nose, like rotten meat and she stopped mid step.

"Brooke, wait…there's a strange smell on the wind," she said softly and the skeleton paused.

"Yohoho? What is it?"

"It smells like bad meat, but…" her silvery eyes narrowed as the smell increased in strength, "We need to get back to the ship, now! Something's coming and it's big."

Brooke apparently didn't need to be told twice, but as soon as he started and the words left her lips, a tentacle burst out of the sand, wrapping around her legs and making her loose her balance. She hit the sand with a dull thud, the scalding ground scrapping against her bare arms painfully with her impact. She saw Brooke turn, his sword flying out of his cane.

"No!" she screamed at him. "I can take care of it, go get the others, there are more coming!"

He hesitated, clearly not wanting to abandon his nakama, but she burst into petals and rematerialized a few steps away, her body braced for another attack.

"Go!"

Seeing her ability, he darted off across the water, but her eyes were glued to the waving tentacle in front of her. The sand shifted beneath her feet and she melted away again, floating in the air and wafting to and fro. More tentacles shot out of the earth below and she dodged, moving further uphill so as not to be caught in the breeze from the ocean. She couldn't keep it up forever though; any stray wind could put her in serious danger.

With a swift motion, she darted down, petals taking on a razor edge and sliced past the now writhing mass, carving wrinkled, brown flesh. She formed on the ground where she thought its back might be and sure enough, the feelers turned and she fearlessly grabbed one, giving it one hell of a pull. Tiri felt something give and out popped a small, octopus looking creature, covered in spikes and gnashing fangs.

That couldn't be good.

"What in the Line-"she didn't get time to finish the question, sensing something hurtling at her from the left.

She dodged, but not before another one of those creatures grazed her arm, excruciating pain bursting from the contact, making her cry out. She clutched at the scratch, horrified as it throbbed, her skin burning. Those spikes are poisonous, she thought.

"Shit," she cursed and bolted down the hill, losing her footing and tumbling down to the beach.

She scrambled to stand up, but another tentacle grabbed her ankle and tugged, more following, twisting around her lower body, and trapping her. Tiri struggled, but their grip tightened and she felt tiny pricks along her legs. Damnit!

She looked towards the sea and clawed her way forward on her belly, gritting her teeth in an attempt to at least get to the water. Please hurry, she thought, as what she could only assume to be the poison flowing into her system as her body started to tremble, her muscles indisposed to obey her will. Black began to dance at the edge of her vision as the feelers skulked up her body and she fought not to retch as their stench flooded her nostrils.

Suddenly, there was a foot in her field of view and she looked up at see a blur of flames and steel, the tentacles' grip gone in a millisecond. She was turned over gently and felt a welcome coldness spreading over her scorching wounds. The lavender-haired pirate was lifted in strong arms and she looked up to see just a flash of blonde hair. Then she heard Zoro's voice growling from somewhere nearby.

"What did you do to the witch?"

Tiri found the energy to slap the palm of her hand against her forehead. Really? He had to claim her as the crew's witch in front of not only monsters that couldn't understand, but also their nakama? It was going to be a long afternoon at this rate. Zoro looked over at her in Sanji's arms with his irritable expression.

"Oi, what was the big idea? They could have killed you."

"Well, they didn't, so put me down and let me return the favor," she snarled at the both of them, even though her body felt empty from the antidote.

"Allow me, Tiri-chan," Sanji spoke in a low voice, one that caused her to pause and look up into his face, noting the clenched set of his jaw, "These shitheads need to learn not to hit a lady."

Zoro shook his head and let out a breath, giving her an annoyed look as he nodded in agreement with the cook. If she had any more energy, she would have bolted. Nothing good could come from those two agreeing on anything. Instead, she squeaked weakly when she was handed over like a ragdoll to someone with large furry arms. The lavender-haired pirate looked up to see Chopper's muscular form and gave him a small smile.

"Thanks for the medicine, Chopper-san," she said quietly and he smiled down at her.

"You're welcome, Tiri, just hang tight," he replied cradling her carefully, like she was the most fragile thing on the Grand Line.

"Keep her there," Zoro barked as he and Sanji moved to stand in front of her and the doctor, poised for battle and pointedly ignoring the death glare Tiri bored into both their backs.

She patted Chopper's shoulder and wiggled.

"I can stand, let me down."

"Are you sure? The poison won't have completely left your system yet and Zoro said-"

"I'm sure. Can't let that Bonehead have all the fun. Besides," she said grimly, "I owe them one."

Reluctantly, he complied as the other members of the crew came ashore. Luffy walked slowly past Tiri, putting his hand on her shoulder, his face unusually solemn and his gaze traveled over her slowly, looking for any sign of grave injury.

"Brooke said you might have trouble. Are you injured?"

"Nothing life-threatening, just a few scratches," she shrugged and Zoro folded his arms across his chest and snorted.

"Liar," he muttered and she cuffed him on the shoulder, glaring.

Luffy pushed his hat back with his thumb, stepping past the two of them and his black eyes were narrowed. The tentacles writhed in the air, spiked bulbous forms surfacing from beneath the sand.

"She isn't hurt, but you touched her when she didn't want you to, so that means," Luffy's face was in shadow as he spoke and the way he said those words made a chill run up Tiri's spine. He was deadly serious as he looked up, "I'm going to pummel you from this island."

With that, he stretched his arms back, yelling something that Tiri didn't hear as she had begun melting into petals, but something powerful grabbed her around the waist and hoisted her under their arm. She struggled and craned her neck, her furious silver eyes meeting the cool eyes of Sanji. Apparently he knew better than the others what she might do.

"Forgive me, Tiri-chan, but you are not fully recovered. It would not be prudent for you to fight anymore," there was an edge to his voice that brooked no argument, but Tiri was having none of it.

She stilled and he released her, setting her gently on her feet. He kept an eye on her though, as he stepped to take his place with Zoro and their captain, flames licking around his leg as they tore through the creatures, their attacks nothing to her nakama's power and it shamed her that she was so easily defeated.

I've got to find some way to redeem myself, she thought, struck with a devious plan.

Grinning, she ran into the fray, ducking past Zoro and darting up the hill.

"Oi! What're you doing, Tiri! Stay back!" the swordsman yelled at her but she ignored it, turning on her heel.

She knew she was potentially in the way of any of their attacks, but she had a move of her own, one that she kept only for emergencies. Still, she had her honor to think of and she definitely did not want to appear weak in front of her nakama, much less let them fight for her when she could defend herself. That bonehead was just going to have to get over it; as was Sanji, she thought with a twinge of guilt. She spread her arms wide, summoning the power she had been imbued with. Her body glowed a soft purple as she gathered strength, her hair curling even more wildly than it ever had, lengthening and waving about her head like living vines.

"Move!" she yelled and Luffy looked excited, hopping backwards with agility.

Zoro and Sanji, however, started to run towards her.

"Stop, Tiri, you'll get yourself killed!" the cook's words fell on deaf ears and the glow around her flared.

Petals floated around her, not a part of her, yet they were, breaking off from her hair as she raised her arms above her head with a wicked smile.

"Hey, bastards," she howled, her silver eyes clouding over into the color of spring lilacs.

She dropped her hands to the sand, firing the power she had been building straight into the ground and there was a pulse of energy, rippling the sand like water. The motion of the sand threw Zoro and Sanji back and they landed near Luffy.

"Oi, that looks so awesome!" she heard Luffy shout and she grinned.

Green tendrils shot out of the earth, writhing with the brown ones and she made a gesture. The green vine-like things moved to her command, slamming into the enemy tentacles with ferocity. Wrapping around the others tightly, she made a fist and they squeezed, crunching noises popping across the shoreline. Others slammed into the ground like giant hands, smashing the spiked creatures into oblivion.

Within moments, they were all dead or had fled under the earth and Tiri waved her hand, the tendrils withdrew and she released the power she had tightly reined in. Her hair returned to its normal length, while her eyes cleared to their natural mercurial color. She collapsed to her knees, breathing heavily.

"Tiri!" That sounded like Chopper, she thought dimly.

She was lifted then, her head snapping back at the force of the speed in which she was pulled to the shore. Luffy must have grabbed her.

"That was cool, but stupid," she heard her captain laugh as he placed her carefully on her feet and threw an arm over her shoulder.

"Sorry, Luffy. Pride…it can kill you, you know," she joked softly, her body trembling from exertion and one eye open.

He grinned at her and gave her a thumbs up and that was the last thing she remembered.


	5. Chapter 5

_** A/N: Hey guys, here's the next chapter. Please let me know what you all think. Leave a review, they make my day! :D**_

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><p>When she next awoke, she was in a small bed in an unfamiliar room and she jerked upright. Heavy bandages covered her chest and wrapped around each leg. She looked around wildly, then immediately relaxed, recognizing Chopper's office. Taking a steadying breath, she swung her legs over the side and tried to stand. Her legs didn't want to cooperate, however, and she tumbled to the floor in a heap. Well, at least her shorts were still on, she thought, as the door opened.<p>

A blond head poked in and, seeing her on the floor, immediately put down the tray he'd been carrying and went to her. He knelt down and lifted her like she weighed nothing and she quickly grabbed his shoulders.

"Ah, thank you, Sanji-kun," she said with a small smile, "It seems my legs are not on my side today."

"I'm surprised you're awake, Tiri-chan, after all that energy you used. You should be asleep for at least another day, though I'm glad you're not," he murmured quietly.

"What? I've been out for a day?" she squeaked, wriggling a little in his grasp in surprise.

"Yes, but you seem to have quite the stamina, to be up already," he chuckled as he bent to place her back in her bed, pulling the covers over her legs.

She stopped him by taking his hand when he went to straighten and he made a startled noise. She looked up at him sweetly and tugged till he was eye-level with her. She cupped his face in her hands, plucked out his cigarette and placed a soft kiss on his lips before handing the smoke stick back with a smile.

"I owed you that from yesterday," she said, "Thank you, Sanji-kun, you let me gain back my honor."

His blush was completely worth it and she quickly grabbed a towel to help with his nose bleed. Once it had stopped, he brought over the tray of food and she stopped him again when he turned to leave.

"If you're not busy, I'd love some company," she said as she sipped at the soup he had made her.

He hesitated, something flashing behind his eyes and she immediately put down her spoon and reached out to touch his hand.

"You're upset with me, aren't you," she asked softly, lowering her eyes and biting her lip.

Tiri heard him light a match as she set the tray aside and pulled her knees to her chest, curling her arms loosely around them. Her chest felt tight, but her face remained unreadable. He blew out a stream of smoke before shoving his hands in his pockets and leaning a hip against the desk next to her bunk.

"Yeah, I am."

She nodded, knowing exactly why.

"I couldn't let you guys fight for me when I could handle it myself. I-"

"Tiri," he cut her off, his tone sharper than a knife, "You nearly died out there and we almost didn't get to you in time."

She flinched, his words hitting her like a whip. He let out a breath, reaching out a hand to gently grasp her chin to make her look at him. His eye widened and she guessed he may have seen how bright hers were right then. Quickly, she blinked them. Shame was acceptable, you could learn from it, to avoid it. Tears were not and she met his gaze evenly.

"I know," she replied in a low voice, "But I won't say that I'm sorry about that, only that I caused you worry."

He let out another stream of smoke, lifting his fingers to flick the butt out of the porthole. He shook his head, breathing deeply before pulling around a chair with his free hand and straddling it. Sanji regarded her quietly, one hand's fingers gently stroking her cheek, in an almost absent gesture. She could see that he was thinking hard and she shifted in the bed until she sat cross-legged, their knees nearly touching over the edge of the bunk.

"What do you think we would all do if something truly terrible had happened to you?" he asked and she chewed on her lower lip, her eyes downcast.

She felt very much like a child being scolded, but she was pretty sure she deserved it. Tiri wasn't sure she could speak right then, so she just nodded, her hand coming up to cover his larger one.

"I would have leveled that island, regardless of whom or what lived there," he said, the flatness of his tone making her shudder, but she nodded again as he continued, "Our nakama would have done the same."

"What more do you want me to say, Sanji?" she questioned, giving voice to the uncertainty that weighed on her shoulders uncomfortably and nearly smothering in its heaviness, though there remained a smidge of prideful anger.

He sighed, bringing his other hand to cup her face in his palms and looking into her eyes seriously.

"I want a promise that you'll never do something that reckless again," his face was inscrutable.

"How can I make you that promise when we all do acts that put us in that kind of danger? How is that fair?" she protested, sounding more and more like a child in her own ears. Still, she felt her point was valid.

"Heh, I guess you have a point there," he muttered and she scowled at him.

"Just that easy?" she asked incredulously.

"No," he replied, releasing her face long enough to rise and kick the chair back before pulling her up onto her knees, his lanky arms wrapping around her torso.

"Then what-"

His face was very close, his eye level with hers.

"You," he cut her off, one hand slipping to the curve of her lower back while the other slid up to hold her firmly in place, "owe me a lot more than that small kiss for the stunt you pulled."

Her breath caught in her throat as she stared at him, her heart hammering against her ribs while her hands came to rest against his chest. Then he pulled away with a smirk to stand just at the edge of the bunk. Sanji bent at the waist to look her in the eyes, mischief playing across his features.

"But I don't think you're in any shape for me to collect at the moment," he chuckled, the sound making a shiver want to dance down her spine, but she resisted.

She reached out and poked him hard in the stomach instead. He grunted, then chuckled.

"Oi, oi, I get the point," he teased, standing away from her with a grin, "Now, finish your food, I'm going to prepare something for Luffy before he eats the mast."

"Good idea, I'd hate to be adrift in this sea due to our captain couldn't contain himself with a crew that blamed me for it because I was distracting the cook," she laughed as he lit a cigarette.

He smiled at her, taking his cigarette in hand with a wave and left. She finished her meal and placed the empty tray on the small side table near her bed. Tiri lay back against the pillows, discovering a small pile of books nearby. Robin must have brought them. As the light faded, she heard a knock on the door and laid down the novel she had dived into.

"Come in," she called with a light tone and was surprised at her visitor.

"Hello there, Franky, what brings you by to see me?" she asked with a welcoming smile and the big man rubbed the back of his neck, one hand hidden behind his back.

"Well, I brought you something that might cheer you up," he replied with a grin and pulled out a key, carved at the top with a lilac blossom.

"What's this?" she asked, taking the key from his outstretched hand with a curious expression.

"It's for your new room. When you're able, I'll show you where it is. I added to the library a bit, so you can have your own bed and the like. That sofa can't be all that comfortable and-"

"That's perfect, thank you, Franky, it's most generous," she said, holding up a hand to stop the flow of nervous words.

* * *

><p>After a few days, she was well enough that she could leave Chopper's little room and, with Franky's key in hand, she went to the library and immediately spotted the new door. When she placed the key in the lock and opened it, she lost her breath. It was stunning, hand carved furniture, lilacs growing along their sides and lengthwise across the bunk that was her bed, which had been thoughtfully placed beneath a porthole. They had even thought of how much she loved sunshine? He had lined shelves along the walls and had built her a small desk. There was even a trunk for the new clothes she had bought. Tears threatened to spill down her cheeks. This was such a beautiful gesture from her nakama and she had no way of repaying it. What had she done to deserve such a kindness?<p>

"You're just you, Tiri-chan. A lovely woman deserves a lovely room," Sanji's voice said from behind her and she turned.

Since when had she developed the habit of talking out loud?

"Ah, such a beautiful expression," He commented with a genuine smile.

"No, no, this," she gestured, shaking her head, "is a beautiful expression. I really will have to find something extra special to thank Franky for this."

Sanji suddenly turned serious, lighting a cigarette with a smooth motion.

"Why, Tiri-chan? This is what he loves to do. By repaying him, you would be lessening the gesture. If you want to thank him, smile every time you come in here."

She hadn't thought of it like that, she admitted to herself and nodded.

"You are right," she said with a smile, "But I should still tell him how much I love it."

The cook nodded and she crossed her arms loosely as she leaned against the door jam.

"Anyway, Sanji-kun, what'd you come by for?"

He blew out a ring of smoke before stuffing his hands in his pockets.

"I wanted to see your reaction when you saw the room, and-"

She raised a brow when he went silent. "And what?"

"You seem to never be at a lack for words, Tiri-chan," he replied, changing the subject and she grinned, allowing it.

"When it occurs, take cover, something bad is happening," she laughed.

"I won't doubt it. Ah, that reminds me, may I escort the lady to dinner?" he asked with a small bow, a mischievous smile playing around his lips.

"What woman could refuse?" she replied with a grin, straightening.

He offered her his arm and she took, both of them striding onto the deck, which was coated in a light drizzle. She knew that she needed to get stronger. It was time to step up her training. Hopefully, it wasn't going to kill her in the process. She still had quite a bit to do.

* * *

><p>Tiri swore as steel bit deeply into the flesh of her palm. A crimson line formed, a red slash down the length of her hand and she grimaced before closing it in a fist. She clutched the hand to her chest, biting her lip in pain. She looked up from the wound at the swordsman, gritting her teeth.<p>

"How-how did you do that?" she ground out and he shrugged, shouldering the two training swords he wielded.

"It wasn't like it was difficult," he said matter-of-factly and she scowled, tearing off a piece of her shirt and wiping up the thin trickle of blood.

She had summoned a single tendril, trying to conserve her energy and he had flung it back at her with just the flat of the blade, the razor sharp edge of it slicing into her hand. This wasn't what she had in mind when he had said he would help her strengthen her abilities.

"I don't have enough control over them, it seems," she replied calmly, more so than she felt. What would be the point of getting pissy about it?

Ignoring the throbbing ache in her hand, she straightened then leaned back against the wall, her arms loosely crossed beneath her breasts. Her eyes were focused on her bare feet, crossed at the ankles. Tiri frowned as Zoro merely stood nearby, letting her work out whatever is was that was going through her mind.

"I need to create something different, something that isn't as draining," she murmured, thinking out loud, her silvery eyes closing in concentration.

"The attack I used on the last island should be for a large number of enemies only. So, the question becomes, how can I make a single tendril effective enough to take down one opponent? You turned it aside so easily. Then…"

She trailed off, lifting away from the wall, a glint in her eyes as they opened, determination etched into her features and Zoro gave her an appraising look. Flexing her hands, she darted, disappearing in a blur. In their weeks of training, she had picked up this smallest of tricks he had attempted to teach her. But, for her, it was merely a diversionary tactic. Her unhurt hand gestured, a tendril flying out and Zoro deftly parried the attack. However, she whipped her body around, her leg coming up, tendrils wrapping around it, spiny and thick. She kicked from the left as he was distracted and he leapt back, barely dodging with a feral grin. Nimbly, he caught her leg with a single hand.

"Not bad, witch, you thought that one through," he chuckled and she smiled, dropping her stance as he dropped her leg.

"Well, it never hurts to experiment," she answered mildly, stretching; "I think I've had enough for today."

He snorted. "You tire too quickly."

"It isn't that, Sanji-kun promised me that he'd teach me how to make something special today."

She walked to where she had tossed her towel, shoving it over her head and rubbing away the sweat briskly. Ick, she still needed to take a shower, she thought with a sniff. Zoro gave her a look and she glowered at him.

"What's your problem, bonehead?"

He shrugged in reply before speaking. "Just wondering what you see in that curly-cook."

"More than you ever will," she shot back with a broad grin and he grimaced.

"Didn't need that mental image, witch," he growled.

"That's what I'm here for!" she called before disappearing down the hatch.

The wind was strong today, so she easily descended, hopping down to the grass with a light step. She rushed her bath, twisting her still damp hair into a loose braid. Following the scent of cigarette smoke, she strode to the galley, lifting a hand with a bright smile at the play of some of her younger nakama. Tiri walked through the door, humming a nameless tune that was playing through her head at that moment. Brooke, who has seated at the table sipping his trademark cup of tea, chatting idly with Sanji as he prepared the evening meal. The skeleton turned to acknowledge the lavender-haired pirate with his usual toothy grin.

"Yohohohoho, Tiri-san, what is that song you're humming? I've never heard it."

Tiri lifted one shoulder in a shrug. "I don't know, exactly. I'm always making up music. It goes with being made out of flowers," she joked, "How can I do less than what is expected of me?"

"Indeed, still, let me see, let me see…" Brooke trailed off, unfolding his tall body from the chair and walking out of the door, a finger tapping against the hard bone of his jaw in thought.

Tiri watched him leave, and then shrugged again, coming around the long table and into the kitchen. Sanji watched her move with a smile and Tiri was pleased to see no heart eyes or nose bleeds. Well, her training outfit of t-shirt and long pants wasn't exactly as revealing as some of the clothes Nami wore, so perhaps he was becoming immune to the lesser charms of the feminine form.

She hoped so at least, there weren't any towels handy right then.

"Hello, Sanji-kun," she greeted him brightly, padding across the floor to lean back against the counter near the sink as he chopped vegetables.

"Tiri-chan," he murmured with a shy smile, cigarette dangling from the corner of his lips. It surprised her that after all the encounters they had, he could still be nervous around her. To be honest, she found it endearing.

They stood in companionable silence for a while as she watched him work. The steady sound of his knife thumping against the cutting board relaxed her. Something about cooking always made her feel that way. Perhaps that was why she was so comfortable around Sanji, except when he gave her the heart eyes; that was just weird. Still, she pushed away from the counter and crossed the kitchen. Tiri hopped and landed easily on the countertop next to him, pulling her legs under her to sit cross-legged, her chin cupped in a palm.

"What are you going to show me how to make?" she queried, tilting her head and rubbing at her cold toes.

"I hadn't really planned yet. But, why don't you tell me what your favorites are, and we'll see," he asked, his brow furrowed in concentration.

"Eh, alright, good idea. Well, I love strawberries, and rice. I really like seafood, so being a pirate is easy in that respect. Hmmm, that's all I can think of at the moment," she replied, her expression one of idle contentment.

He chuckled.

"Well, that's an easy list. I think we have some strawberries left, why don't I make some tarts for you?"

She clapped her hands together with a huge grin, excitement making her silvery eyes sparkle.

"Awesome!" she chirped, unfolding her legs and dangling them over the side, still grinning.

He returned her smile, stopping to take the last pull on his cigarette before flicking it away and shoving his hands in his pockets as he shuffled to the large pantry. He emerged a moment later with a small basket, setting it down. He then dumped all the freshly chopped vegetables into the pot on the stove, a delicious scent gliding past Tiri's nose and making her mouth water. Cleaning his knife, he then carefully cut off the green leaves at the top of the fruit, red juice leaking onto the new board he was using. She dipped a finger in the sweet liquid, closing her eyes in pleasure at the taste as she popped the digit into her mouth, licking her lips to insure that she caught every drop.

In sheer happiness, she started humming again, and then jerked upright when she heard the sound of a fiddle complimenting her tune.

"Wha?" she asked in surprise, turning her head and leaning over to peer out over the sink towards the doorway in curiosity, music floating in the air merrily.

"Oi? That's your song?" Sanji asked, lighting another cigarette and cocking his head, "It's very lively."

"Well, yeah, it's a little tune I made up this morning, but it seems like Brooke added some touches of his own. I rather like it," she commented with a bright smile, bobbing her head.

He had moved before she turned her head back, startling her a bit at his proximity.

"Tiri," he murmured, a hand lifting to brush a stray lilac-colored curl away from her face, tucking it behind her ear, "Do you know how lovely you are when you smile like that?"

She shook her head, unexpectedly very nervous. Tiri's tongue darted out to wet her suddenly dry lips and she gave him a small smile.

"No, I don't, but it's something a girl never gets tired of hearing," she joked weakly and he chuckled quietly, his hand moving from her hair to cup her cheek.

"Never at a loss for words, are you?" he asked softly, repeating the question he had asked her before and she shook her head with a crooked grin.

He made a quiet "Hmmm," and leaned forward until his forehead rested against hers, closing his eyes and Tiri's searched his face for some clue of his intent. Then, he reached up again, lacing his fingers with her smaller ones and placing them both over his heart. She could feel its beating, nearly as hard as hers, and she swallowed.

"You do this, you know," he whispered, a smile curving his lips before he stepped back, letting her hand fall away and she placed both of them on the counter at her sides.

Sanji wordlessly pointed her to the sink as he stepped back, a thoughtful expression on his face and she moved, reaching in to begin deveining shrimp. Like a well-rehearsed symphony, they worked around one another for some time, Tiri gently peeling away the shells and washing the meat under the running water before placing them in a clean bowl. Sanji stood near the stove, busily stirring and tweaking the simmering pots. She finished her task, washing her hands and making a face at the shriveled flesh of her palms.

Patting them dry, she nearly jumped out of her skin when she felt his body press close to her back.

"Sanji?" she squeaked and he gently plucked the towel from her hands and turned her to face him.

Without a word, he placed his hands on her waist and easily hoisted her to sit next to the sink.

"You seem much better, Tiri-chan," he murmured, his thumb stroking across her chin, "In fact it seems that you have completely recovered from your injuries. I'm glad."

She gulped, the glint in his eye making her feel very much like a sweet dessert that he found exceptionally delicious.

"Heh, so am I, to be honest," she replied, rubbing the back of her head, somewhat embarrassed by his penetrating scrutiny.

"Tiri-chan," he called her name, and she snapped her eyes to his, noting the crinkle at the corner as he smiled warmly at her.

"Your voice is lovely, but," his voice was almost a purr and she felt her cheeks heating, "for once, I'd like it if you had nothing to say."

Before she could ask what exactly that meant, he slanted his lips over hers, effectively silencing any reply she might have made. Tiri responded, her traitorous body one step ahead of her startled mindset. Her tongue met his as he slipped past lips that had parted in surprise, to taste the honeyed cavern of her mouth. Seemingly emboldened by her lack of dissent, he sipped at her lips, but Tiri was not a passive woman. In retaliation, she nipped at his lightly, making him groan. Heat lanced through her body at the sound, but then he pulled away.

"Sanji," she whispered as his lips found hers once more, her hands digging into his shoulders, bring their bodies a scant inch closer.

But, as his lips melded against hers, she noted the taste of cigarettes and something sweet. Her hands flexed when he slid his tongue out to taste the strawberry flavor that still lingered on her lower lip. Tiri's lips parted in a tiny gasp and he immediately took the advantage, his tongue darting past her lips to swirl around hers sensuously, letting out a groan when she answered. Heat crept over her flesh at just the contact of their lips, then flared in her abdomen as one of his hands trailed up her arm to cup the back of her neck, deepening the kiss, the other resting on her hip. She slid her own hands down his chest, enjoying the feel of the softness of his shirt over his lean chest, coming to rest there.

Finally, the need for air parted them, both of them breathing heavily. God help her, she was only human and a kiss like that would make any woman have the exact same reaction. But what did it mean? What did she mean? What did he mean to her? The questions whirled in her mind so fast it was dizzying. She needed to stop it now before they went too far. Besides, if his nose started bleeding heavily again-

His mouth was on hers again made her forget to argue with herself about the situation. Her hands fisted in his shirt as his lips left hers to skim across her jaw, and she heard him take a breath, his hand entangled in her hair as he buried his face in the violet curls, breathing in deeply.

"Kami, you smell good," he murmured, his lips brushing against her temple.

She chuckled weakly and closed her eyes, summoning a tiny portion of her power and the kitchen was suddenly flooded with the scent of lilacs. Tiri heard him make a sound and she smiled.

"It doesn't smell as good as your cooking, but," he cut her off with another kiss, but she pulled away gently, shaking her head.

"Sanji, I-I- we have to stop," she protested huskily and he gave her a look that clearly asked her why and she bit her lip.

"If you want to stop, don't do that," he said with a groan, capturing her lips again and she didn't stop him this time, his words making her stomach flutter, "And don't say my name like that," he muttered between kisses.

"The one is a habit and the other is your fault," she replied breathlessly when they parted once more, forcing the confusion in her mind down as he chuckled, both his hands cupping her face.

"I didn't hear you complain," he responded with a cocky grin and she lightly cuffed him in the shoulder.

"You didn't give me a chance," she objected, but his mouth peppering butterfly kisses against the curve of her jaw distracted her so that he could press their lips together once again.

This one was even more intense than the last, his hands moving from her hair to encircle her waist. It was mind-numbing, intoxicating, her back arching when his wicked fingers drug themselves along the curve of her spine. Who knew that she was so sensitive there? Her hands busied themselves dancing across his chest, her skin tingling when the pads of his fingertips brushed the back of her neck, making her shiver.

He broke from the kiss without warning and she reached for the towel again, the motion becoming almost automatic. Tiri held the clean end of the cloth to his nose as she leaned her forehead against his, panting lightly.

"If we keep this up," she heard him mutter, his warm breath fanning her cheek, "I don't know that I'll be able to stop."

"If we keep this up, you're going to need a blood transfusion," she laughed softly and Tiri saw him smile crookedly beneath the edge of the towel.

In truth, that was what she was worried the most about. Chopper and Usopp had told her the stories of his near death on the Fishman Island.

_Distraction tactic 21: draw attention to the practical and mundane._

Who knew those lessons would ever be applied in a situation like this?

"So, are you going to show me how to make strawberry tarts or what?" she asked, still breathless as he let his head rest on her shoulder, his face pressed into her neck and his lips brushing the skin there, making her shudder lightly.

"Alright," came the muffled response close to her ear, his lanky arms coming from around her.

She smiled and they set to work.


	6. Chapter 6

Tiri idly watched the horizon as the morning sun broke over the water. Citrus colored clouds drifted by in the distance, but she barely registered their beauty. Her mind was miles away and yet very near. The scent of pancakes, bacon, and sweet fruits drifted past her nose, but she could not relish them. Her stomach didn't even rumble in contemplation. Instead, she thought of the blonde man standing over the stove, his sleeves rolled back and a cigarette clenched between his teeth. Shaking her head irritably, she straightened from her slouched position at the railing, lightly hopping to dangle slender legs over the side. Cold sea spray sprinkled over the leanly muscled limbs, but she welcomed it, anything to hurry the sluggish, dark mood away from her.

What the bloody hell had she been thinking? There were two other women on board, whose bodies surely held more interest for him than hers. Had she really expected him to just take her, only her? Two weeks after making those tarts, they had returned to their routine of light flirting and casual companionship, as if nothing had even happened between them at all. Tiri let out an exasperated breath, cupping her chin in both hands as her elbows balanced on the backs of her thighs.

She was the biggest fool on the Line.

What had made her think that she was special? That anything had truly changed between them? More importantly, why in the name of Gol D. did it bother her so much? For all his talk of love and chivalry, he certainly was quick to back away when there was a possibility expect where Nami and Robin were concerned-

Her eyes widened and she swiftly shook the thought clear from her mind. Where was this jealousy coming from? The other women of the crew had been nothing but kind to her, she was hardly repaying them with her misplaced malcontent. And then the cycle began again, with her wondering just what had her disgruntled in the first place. Was it his lack of special attention to her? That was selfish, to say the least, and perhaps closer to the truth than she would have liked.

Her eyes roved across the vast expanse of ocean, searching for an answer that the sea could not provide. But then, a small black dot emerged in the distance. She squinted, its presence finally registering and let out a sharp yelp before clambering back onto the deck.

"Shit, how'd-" she cut herself off, leaping to her feet.

She looked back towards the galley, debating, and then she shook her head, mumbling to herself before striding towards Luffy's quarters. She swung open the door and let the sunlight stream into the darkened room, a tiny part of her taking a certain degree of sadistic pleasure in inherent evilness of the gesture.

"Oi, Luffy, wake up! We've got company."

"Whassat? Oh, ok," he muttered, cracking open an eye before stretching his limbs and shifting to get out of his bunk.

Tiri nodded and didn't wait, returning to her original position on deck and shading her eyes. Her captain joined her a moment later, crouching on the wood beside her.

"What'd they want?" he asked, cracking his knuckles.

"I'm not sure," she replied, "But I recognize that ship and I'll know the man at the helm, I feel certain. Luffy, I can handle this, but…" she trailed off and he looked over at her with his head tilted.

He really reminded her of a puppy at times.

"I thought, as captain, you needed to know that these guys were coming, and that it was probably for me."

His face took on a serious expression before breaking into a huge grin.

"Ah, we'll pummel 'em before they even get close."

"If it's all the same to you, I'd like permission to board their vessel."

"Eh? What for?"

She retrieved a packet from her thigh pack, holding it up in the brightening sunshine.

"I suppose I ought to give these back, though they actually belong to me."

"Huh?" he scratched his head and she sighed with a smile, shaking her head and sending her lavender curls bouncing around her shoulders.

"Basically," she said, pointing out towards the water, "The guy who's on that ship stole something from my family that I stole back and now I'm going to give it back to him."

"Why?"

She shrugged, thumbing through the slender stack.

"I don't need a house when I live on a ship," she grinned and he returned it.

"That makes sense. Oh, are you going to fly over there?" he bounced on his legs with a laugh and she chuckled.

"Sorta. Do me a favor and keep the others clear till I get back? It's something I have to take care of…by myself."

"Eh, if you want."

"Thanks," she said, tipping his hat over his eyes with a thumb before stepping lightly over the railing and melting into petals.

"Oi, Luffy, where's the witch headed off to?" the swordsman had walked up as she disappeared over the side.

"Hmm? She said knew that ship over there and went to give the captain of it back something she took that he took from her," Luffy answered, obviously proud he remembered the order, then added, "And she said she wanted to go alone."

"Idiot, that has trap written all over it," he muttered before putting a booted foot on the railing, clearly intending to swim after her but Luffy grabbed his shoulder.

"She asked me to keep everyone away. If something bad happens, she'll come back, she can fly!"

Zoro stared at him blankly for a minute, then raised a brow.

"And if they have any seastone?"

"Oi, I didn't think of that…we'd better go get the Mini Merry."

Luffy turned, but Zoro held up a hand, still staring out over the water.

"I have a better idea, actually. Go get the ero-cook, I'll meet you below deck."

* * *

><p>Tiri landed on the poop deck, careful to keep her back to the sea. Straightaway she was surrounded by armed guards, one with a mustache that she recognized. She placed her hands on her hips with a grin.<p>

"Heh, I don't know whether to be impressed or surprised that you idiots found me in the middle of the ocean," she snarked and was pleased that the man's lips tightened in irritation, but otherwise he showed no reaction.

"You will surrender now to await trial on Equitina Island, Tiri Vallene, or we will be forced to subdue you."

Before she could reply, she saw a rotund, bejeweled middle-age man waddle up the stairs, huffing and puffing like a smoke stack. He was clearly a nobleman of some kind, his clothing of fine make and cut. His bulbous head was the smallest aspect of his body, and she thought, rather humorously, that he looked somewhat like a snowman. His hair had been styled into a ridiculously high pompadour, the brown strands glistening oily in the morning sunlight.

"She *wheeze* is going to have *wheeze* to be subdued with *wheeze* deadly force. She resisted *hack*."

"I haven't resisted anything on this ship," she snarled, whipping out the packet of papers and tossing it to the mustached guard that was clearly in charge.

"Sergeant Hasan, wasn't it? This is the deed I stole. You are welcome to it and the property it conveys ownership of. I have no desire for either," she stated with no small amount of disdain.

The guardsman opened the small packet with some suspicion, then turned to the shorter man.

"These are the originals, sir, they bear the seal of the World Government."

But the older man just stared at him, before sniffing unpleasantly. He crossed his arms, reminding Tiri strongly of a petulant child. His pig-like eyes glittered in a malicious manner, resembling a snake in their coldness.

"I don't care. I say she obviously resisted, made an attempt on my life and that's why you were forced to shoot her. Don't you remember, Hasan?" he asked the question with a smirk, one that Tiri itched to take off.

The man was odious, she thought, lifting a brow as Hansan looked between the two of them, his morals obviously at war with his sense of duty.

"You've seen what I can do, Sergeant. How are you going to shoot what you can't catch?" she asked, bursting into petals with a grin.

Something felt wrong.

She was being wretched back together, her body solidifying even as she struggled to resist. Tiri stumbled as she was forced back down to the deck, guards immediately falling on her before she could recover and she felt her arms were jerked behind her back roughly, something heavy scraping across her wrists coarsely. Her body felt like lead. Her mercurial eyes darted around as the circle of men around her shifted and she saw the little man holding a single lilac petal between his plump fingers with a wide smile.

"That's all it takes to bring you to your knees, you little cunt," he crowed, spittle flying from his lips as he laughed, "Your father wasn't much smarter."

She immediately shut down the emotional half of her brain; it was going to get her killed. Instead, the corner of her lips curved in a mocking smile, reflecting a bravado she didn't feel at that moment. But, her body was remembering months of training, muscles tensing in anticipation.

"Is that supposed to mean something to me, oh great Toady one? You need to work on your imperious attitude; it's obviously not up to par."

She was instantly backhanded across her cheek by a guard standing nearby, hard enough that it almost turned her head, almost. She looked up at her striker with a chuckle, noting the knobbed brass knuckles he wore.

"And you need to lift some weights, twerp. Honestly, hitting a little woman like me with those huge things? Compensating for something, aren't we?" she scoffed, the man twice her size.

He raised his hand to attack her again, but a plump, meaty hand stopped him. He lowered his eyes in deference to his superior and backed away with his head bowed. Tiri had to fight the urge to gnash her teeth in a display that would have at least made the fat little bastard pause. Instead, her features were carefully blank as his soft fingertips caressed her cheek.

"You, my dear, are going to learn to enjoy me, I think," he murmured, the stink of his breath testing her control over her gag reflex.

She didn't reply, merely rose her eyebrows with a snicker. It always amazed her just how little it took to provoke people, the sting of the slap to her cheek hardly enough to for her to notice.

"You will learn your place eventually, that I assure you," he hissed at her, before waddling back towards the stairwell that led to the lower deck.

Cigarette smoke wafted past her and she felt her smile reach her eyes.

"Her place is with her nakama," a low voice stated somewhere behind her, "who consider her too precious to lose to the likes of you shitty bastards."

Just as she was turning her head to look, a black blur flew past her, men soaring off the side of the ship to splash into the waiting sea. The weight on her wrists was removed and she caught a sharp, metallic smell. Grinning, she twisted to see the grumpy expression of the swordsman.

"Are we always going to have to save you, witch?"

"Nope, just pull me out of the proverbial viper pit every once and a while," she grinned, immediately straightening and vanishing with barely a whisper of sound.

Guns exploded around her, but she darted past them, spinning into a lethal whirlwind of thorns and petals. She solidified and buried her knee into a nearby chest, hearing bones crunch at the impact, before sending her arm out, flinging tiny plant spikes into another man's eyes. He screamed in agony, clutching at his face, driving the small briars deeper unintentionally. She paid them little heed, her silvery eyes fixating on the portly little coward who was retreating to a door she suspected led below deck.

She pulled on her power, a tendril breaking through the wooden deck to fling itself across the door just as the round man placed his hand on the handle. He let a shriek that had her smiling as he clutched his hand to his flabby chest, tears welling in his eyes.

"Idiot, that's barely a scratch. Here, let me give you something to cry over," she snarled before melting into petals, their razor sharp edges slicing through the flaccid flesh.

He screamed in pain and she materialized just behind him, spinning and planting her foot squarely where his neck met the base of his skull. There was a wet snap as she felt his vertebrae give under the impact, her lips pulled back in a feral snarl. He collapsed in a heap as she leapt back, grimly satisfied to see the thin trickle of blood leaking between the flabby lips. It wasn't lethal, but he would never come after her again.

Tiri turned then, spotting her captain and the swordsman leaning against the upper deck railing, watching something almost lazily. She looked over where their gazes were focused and she saw Sanji amidst an inferno.

"You'd better not have been rough with her," he bellowed, his leg a red haze, punctuating each word as he battered at the group of men surrounding him, his eyes flames.

He caught sight of her on the lower deck and she waved up at him, then saw the beginnings of bruises on her wrists and immediately hid them behind her back.

Too late.

His eyes narrowed to slits as he whirled on the guards still standing, well, more frozen in fear and shock.

"I will not forgive any of you for this," he hissed between clenched teeth.

She shuddered to think what he may have done if there had been blood.

Her preoccupation with the man in front of her kept her from noticing the one that had crept up behind her. With a savage swing of the butt of his rifle, he smashed into her upper back and neck. She staggered with a strangled noise, her vision blurring, drawing the attention of her nakama. Before Zoro or Luffy could get out a curse, Sanji had leapt down, the rage on his face enough for the man to retreat as fast as possible backwards.

Fire seemed to explode around him as he raced across the length of the deck, the sole of his shoe smashing down into the guard's face, sending the unfortunate fool rocketing through the deck, the lower deck, till he burst through the hull. It all happened so quickly, that he was able to catch the falling woman in his arms.

"I kept you waiting, Tiri-chan," he said softly, looking down at her bruised face with a tight smile, "Your knight is here."

"Idiot," she whispered, her head throbbing, "I heard the story behind that line from Franky already. Loses its charm when you know it was said for another woman."

She laughed weakly as he stood, cradling her to his chest as if she was the most precious thing in this world. Water gushed around them, streaming up from the latest hole Sanji had made in the ship. Then they were moving and she felt her stomach drop as he easily jumped over the side of the ship and into the constricted space of the Shark Submersible, the hatch slamming behind him.

"I see," he finally replied, his fingers brushing away the curls that clung to her face, uncertainty clouding his features, "but…I meant it."

She gave him a crooked grin.

"I know."

He leaned down so that his lips grazed her ear, his words making her eyes widen even as a warm bubble popped in her chest.

"If I cannot be your knight, then I will be your shield. That I promise to you."

* * *

><p>They quickly docked in the Sunny Go and Luffy stretched his arm down and wrapped it around Tiri's waist, gently lifting her to the grassy deck so she wouldn't have to climb. As soon as she was set down, she felt a wave of dizziness wash over her, but she ignored it. She could see smoke rising in the distance as the ship let out a loud crack and began to slowly sink below the water. They had lifeboats, she had seen them. That was probably a good thing, since the expressions on her nakama's faces were not merciful.<p>

"Tiri, let me see those bruises," she heard near her right knee and she obediently sat down for the young doctor's inspection.

He dabbed them with a funny smelling solution, the cotton ball cold against her skin. Chopper leaned closer to her face, holding it between his hooves. He placed one to her forehead and let out a small yelp.

"Tiri, you're burning up!"

He was a tiny brown blur, circling her, searching for a reason for her fever, but Tiri really couldn't be much help. She felt dizzy, light-headed, and chills were starting to chase up and down her spine. He put his head to her chest, listening before shaking his head with a worried expression.

"Those sand things didn't make me feel this bad," she muttered, closing her eyes to keep the spinning ship from making her sick.

"They injected you with a neurotoxin that was meant to paralyze prey. Whatever these men poisoned you with, it seems to be slowing your heart beat. How are you feeling?" he asked as he lifted the back of her shirt to scrutinize the skin carefully.

She recited her symptoms and he murmured to her soothingly. The others had gathered around her and she swayed, pitching forward. Her hands managed to brace against the grassy deck and she shivered again. Chopper came around to look into her face and his little eyes widened.

'What happened here?" he queried sharply, turning to Sanji and Zoro when Tiri seemed incapable of answering.

Sanji just growled as he lit a cigarette.

"Idiot hit her across the face with some brass knuckles, I think. Tch," the swordsman sneered, "he hit her hard enough to make a Sea King wince, but she's tougher than she looks."

If she had the strength, she'd have made a crack about the backhanded compliment, but as it was, she was completely focused on just staying upright.

"Sanji, take Tiri to her room, I have to run to my office to make an antidote. And keep her warm, anything you can do to keep her blood circulating," Chopper shouted over his shoulder, transforming into Walk Point and darting across the deck.

Tiri felt herself being lifted, and then an arm was around her waist. She saw blonde hair

and heard a quiet voice encouraging her to put one foot in front of the other. Slowly, with

Sanji's aid, she wobbled across the deck, her ankles rolling even under the slight weight

Sanji allowed her to place on them. Crashing against the cook's lean chest, Tiri cursed

under her breath and closed her eyes, refusing to tolerate the swirling of the Sunny any

longer.

"Neptune's great flaming balls, make it stop," she groaned quietly, lifting a heavy free hand to her forehead as they slowly weaved towards her room.

"Did you have to invoke such a disgusting image?" Sanji groused at her, the scent of cigarettes fanning past as he parted his lips to speak.

"It's what I feel like, dammit," she protested half-heartedly, barely retaining the energy to shuffle across the wooden floor.

"You have no luck, do you?" he teased her.

"Obviously not," she muttered, wanting nothing more at that moment than to lie down on her soft bed and sleep.

"Oh, no, Chopper said to keep you moving, so," he hoisted her higher against his side as she started to slide down to the floor, "up we go."

"I know somewhere something can go up," she growled in a vicious voice and he grunted.

"I'm going to blame that foul mouth of yours on the poison," he replied with an easy smile, apparently refusing to be baited by her.

"Why? Nothing like a good argument to get the blood pumping," she said with a shrug, or rather, a bare motion of her shoulder that she hoped he understood as a shrug.

He stilled as they passed by her bunk for the third time and looked down at her with an impassive expression before grunting with a glint in his eye.

"I can think of better ways."

Heat flamed into her cheeks as she caught his meaning and scowled at him, since she didn't have the vigor to cuff him for being a pervert.

"Zoro's right, you are an ero-cook," she grumbled as they resumed their slow pacing.

Her eyelids felt heavy and she started to stumble against him, her breathing becoming deeper, but more labored.

"Oi, oi, oi, Tiri-chan, talk to me! Stay awake!"

Tiri felt her body being shaken and, with a tremendous effort, she lifted her head.

"I want to be as strong as you guys, Sanji-kun," she murmured groggily, leaning her cheek against his shoulder and nuzzling against the soft fabric of his jacket.

"Why is that, Tiri-chan?"

"I don't want you to have to save me all the time anymore," she said with a mighty yawn, one arm sliding off his shoulders while the other raised and both wrapped around his middle, "I don't want to be the one that keeps you all from accomplishing your dreams."

"You beautiful idiot," he chuckled, his words making her stomach erupt into butterflies, "That's what all of us have trained for. Except for the marimo, he just has nothing better to do," he added with another chuckle.

"That's not fair, Sanji-kun, I think he trains to protect all of his nakama," she protested, her eyes completely closed now and missing the strange expression that crossed the tall man's features.

"You-you think a lot of him, don't you…Tiri-chan?" he murmured as they slowly moved back and forth from her room to the library.

"Of course, he's taught me a great many things," she said in a husky voice, unable to speak any louder, but fought to open her eyes when he made a choked noise close to her ear.

"Eh? What is it, Sanji-kun?" she queried, raising her head to look over at him tiredly.

"N-nothing, Tiri-chan. C'mon, let's get you moving a bit quicker, Chopper will be here soon with the antidote."

"I hope so, I can barely keep my eyes open," she muttered as they passed the large sofa in the library.

"Why didn't you say anything, Tiri-chan?" he asked, hastily lowering her to the couch to inspect her face closely.

"I've been chattering nonstop to stay awake," she giggled sleepily, before tilting her head as he bent down to her eye level, his gaze searching her face worriedly.

Even though her hand felt heavy, she lifted it to brush the blonde strands from his face and he locked his eyes with hers. Her hand slid down to his cheek and she gently tugged him forward until their noses were almost touching.

"Did you know that you are a handsome man, Sanji-kun?" she asked with wide eyes, her expression amusing him that he laughed quietly.

"You think so?"

She nodded, feeling parts of her brain beginning to shut down from lack of blood.

"You know what else?" her eyes were bright and dancing with a silly kind of mischief.

"What's that Tiri-chan?" he asked as his lips twitched with suppressed mirth.

She lifted up her other hand to cup his face and brought his lips to hers, kissing him slowly and sweetly. He responded, their lips melding softly before she pulled back with a certain amount of effort.

"I really, really like kissing you," she whispered with a crooked smile, before giggling again.

"I like kissing you too," he chuckled then gently tucked a stray curl behind her ear.

Her eyes got round as saucers.

"Really?" she asked, her hands finding their way to his shoulders.

He leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"Really," he said with a straight face and she beamed up at him happily.

Then she frowned, her brows furrowing together as a thought crossed her dimming mental faculties. But, to her it was serious and she looked up at him as he crouched on his haunches in order to remain eye level with her without having to bend his body in half. Her fingers moved to stroke the soul patch on his chin in an almost absent fashion while he swiftly lit a cigarette, turning his head to blow a stream of smoke past his lips towards the door. His face also had adopted a concerned, troubled expression. If she had full control over her mind-to-mouth filter, she would never have asked. As her slowing processes finally made its way through her muddled brain, however, she did ask the burning question.

"Do you kiss other people too, Sanji-kun?"

He nearly lost his balance, and his cigarette, as his jaw slackened in shock, his eye wide. His mouth opened and closed a few times and he only made a couple of strangled noises as she tilted her head, patiently waiting for her answer.

"Wh-wh-what?" he stuttered and she scowled at him, obviously displeased with his slowness.

"Do you kiss other people like you kiss me, Sanji-kun? Do you want to?"

A poisoned Tiri was becoming the exact mirror of a drunken Tiri; blunt, short attention span, and just a tiny bit scary in that her mind could still function enough to slash right through any bullshit.

"Eh-uh, that is-I, uh-um…no?" he finished lamely with a hand behind his head, his cheeks a bright red.

"No to which one?" she inquired with a small smile, mercurial eyes sparkling. Perhaps she knew what she was saying better than she let on.

"To bo- Ah, Chopper, you have the antidote?" Sanji leapt to his feet, hastily making room for the small doctor, his face still pink.

"I think so. Here, Tiri, drink this, it'll make you feel better, but you'll need to rest for the day," he said, handing here a small cup, which she took with some exertion.

Sanji stepped forward and wrapped his warm, larger hand around hers, helping her lift the cup to her lips. She swallowed it with a grimace and the cook gently took the empty container from her hand, giving it to the tiny reindeer. Without another word, he scooped her up off the couch and carried her bridal style to her bunk, tucking her beneath sun-warmed covers.

"I'll stay with her for a bit to watch for any changes, Chopper. You can relieve me when it's time to prepare dinner."

The little deer was busily checking his patient's vitals, muttering to himself.

"Heart rate is coming up, blood pressure is closer to normal. Hmmm, fever is a bit lower, but it isn't there yet. Tsk, tsk, she really needs to slow down; her body won't be able to handle another shock like that. Well…perhaps she'll gain immunity like Luffy's, but I worry that-Did you say something, Sanji?"

The cook repeated himself and Chopper started to protest, but Tiri gently caught his hoof. Her mind was starting to function again, despite her fatigue.

"I'm fine, Chopper-san, really. You're a wonderful doctor and I'll follow your instructions to the letter. And if I don't, I feel sure that you'll come find me to ensure that I do," she whispered with a wry smile.

"But you're still not completely better, idiot," he said, his little body wriggling with pleasure at her compliment.

"I will be. Now, both of you, out. I need to sleep."

Chopper nodded, taking his bag with a snap. He tugged on Sanji's sleeve as he passed, but the cook stood in the doorway with an expression that clearly conveyed his doubt.

She met his gaze with a steady one of her own.

"When I'm better, you can scold me till the trumpets sound. Deal?"

Sanji closed his eyes as he lifted a hand to remove his cigarette, blowing out smoke as he did so. Clearly, he was not convinced that she would rest. With a roll of her eyes, she scooted over in her bunk until her back met the wall.

"Here, you can lie right there until you're certain that I won't do anything else stupid."

Her words were harsher than she intended, but she was exhausted, and in no mood to be argued with. Instead, she rolled over onto her stomach, facing away from him and firmly shut her eyes. After several heartbeats, she felt the mattress give, the aroma of smoke drifting past her as he settled in next to her. Tiri felt a hesitant hand come to rest on the back of her hand, fingers stroking gently through the mass of curls. The motion was soothing and she moved a bit closer to him, murmuring drowsily, like a happy kitten purring in sunshine.

Sleep claimed her then and with a deep, content breath, she accepted its embrace.


	7. Chapter 7

_**A/N: Sorry for not updating in so long, I got distracted by other projects. But, here's the new chapter, I hope you read, review and enjoy!**_

* * *

><p>Tiri's eyes fluttered open to blackness and she blinked blearily, turning her head as they adjusted to the gloom. The moonlight was faint, barely giving enough illumination for her to distinguish where everything was in the room. She was pressed into something rather warm and rolled onto her side, burying her nose into the material that smelled of cigarettes and dessert. A soft groan reached her ears and she smiled as she curled her body into a loose ball against the lump she shared her bunk with.<p>

She snuggled deeper into her warm cocoon of blankets, tucking her hands under her chin. Wriggling a bit, she managed to scoot herself further up the bunk until her nose was being tickled by soft strands. Sleep had fled her for the moment, but she was too comfortable to leave the nest she had made. A mischievous urge struck her and she suppressed a wicked smile. The cook was sleeping peacefully on his back, his breathing even and deep. Tiri gently nuzzled the crook where his neck met shoulder, her lips lightly brushing the exposed skin above his collar. His head turned towards her the tiniest bit and she angled her head to nibble at the shell of his ear. One hand untucked itself to slid over the material of the shirt that covered his chest.

Being a gentleman, Sanji had lied down on top of the sheets. Tiri easily slipped the two upper buttons of his shirt through their holes, her fingertips whispering a caress against the triangle of flesh that was revealed. She let out a tiny breath near his ear and felt quite pleased as he shuddered. Feathering kisses along the curve of his jaw, Tiri continued her silent minstrations. When she nipped at his neck, his body jerked.

With a growl, he rolled over, pinning her beneath him. Her arms were trapped under his large hands and her lower body cradled his hips. The result of her sensual assault was pressing insistently into the soft fabric that covered her thigh.

"A man can only take so much, Tiri-chan," the timbre of his voice was low, almost strained, "And you have done more than your fair share of teasing tonight."

"That's a matter of opinion," she murmured with a sly smile, lifting her head to trail her lips lightly against his chin.

He made a low sound and then his lips captured hers. It was a fierce, heated kiss, one that conveyed his desire for her more clearly than words could have ever expressed. Tiri parted her lips beneath his and he took the opportunity to once more explore her mouth, their tongues meeting in an almost languid dance. He suckled on her lower lip and the sensation pulled a mewling sound from her throat. One kiss led to another, making Tiri feel as if she was melting into the mattress. Heat was pooling low in her belly, her body having made the decision to run on auto-pilot without asking her. They broke apart for air, but then his lips were devouring hers again and she forgot to really think about anything.

Trailing fire, he stopped kissing her lips only to glide them down the line of her neck and when his teeth gently grazed the sensitive flesh, she shivered. She felt his smile against her throat.

"How playful we are," he muttered between the soft pressing of his lips against her skin.

Tiri didn't reply because he had released her hands so that his might busy themselves running up her sides, exploring the curves hidden beneath her loose shirt. Her own hands were at their own work, one hand distracting him by raking her nails lightly across his scalp as the other tenaciously tugged at the buttons of his jacket before attacking the hem of his shirt.

His lips had fitted to hers once more in a hungry kiss. Finally freeing the shirt from his pants, she snaked her fingers beneath the material, relishing the feel of lean muscles that rippled at her touch. Wrapping her legs around his narrow hips, she brought him closer to her.

Tiri rocked hers against him and he let out a hissing breath at the intimately contact. She could feel him straining against the cloth confines of his trousers as he assaulted her mouth again, his clever fingers slipping beneath her shirt to glide across the flat expanse of her stomach, tracing up her ribcage to brush against the soft curve of her breast. The contact made her back arch, pushing herself closer to his electric touch. When he finally cupped her, she moaned into his mouth, the reaction making him growl again.

Her hands danced back down his chest, drawing intricate patterns over the smooth flesh until the exploring tips came against the waistband of his pant. Dexterously, she unbuckled his belt. His mouth seemed to be everywhere, impressing her that he had managed to pull her shirt down far enough to pepper the line of her shoulder with the light caress of his lips.

"Sanji," she breathed huskily.

"It's maddening when you say my name like that," he groaned against her skin and the words made her smile.

"Maddening, huh? How about this then?" she purred in his ear, snaking her hand to the front of his trousers to give him a long, firm stroke, his hips bucking against her palm helplessly as he groaned again.

It seemed that she had stolen his ability to speak and the knowledge curved her lips into a purely feminine smirk.

Then that all too familiar metallic scent wafted past her nose.

Acting quickly, Tiri fumbled for the hankerchief she knew he kept in his breast pocket. Tugging it out, she pressed it to his nose. They were both breathing heavily and she was wound up enough that the feel of his breath hitting her skin was enough to make her shiver beneath him.

"Please, Tiri-chan," he panted, "Please hold still."

"Sorry, you tend to make me move in unpredictable ways," she teased weakly and he let out a short laugh, hugging her to him as both the nosebleed and their breathing slowed.

She could feel his heart beating clear through his shirt and a warmth unfurled in her chest when she noticed that the beat matched hers. Wrapping her arms around him, she hugged him back, burrowing her nose into the crook of his shoulder.

"So I've observed," he muttered dryly, rolling them both over to lie on their sides.

"Heh," was the only response he was going to get out of her at that moment.

Gently, she removed the hankerchief, folding it neatly and placing it on the nightstand. When had that tray of food gotten there? She returned to her former position and a thought struck her.

"Oh, Kami, Luffy probably ate the mast waiting for you to cook dinner tonight!"

Sanji laughed quietly and Tiri gently brushed the hair out of his eyes with a curious look.

"I got up while you were asleep. Chopper watched you while I fed our beloved captain and the rest of the crew."

Tiri nodded in acknowledgment, arching her back and it cracked in a loud series of pops before she wriggled out of Sanji's arms, sitting up. She let out a hiss as her bare feet hit the cold wooden floor and she made a mental note to ask Robin and Nami to keep an eye out for a rug at the next port. Half-turning, she held out a hand to the blonde cook.

"C'mon, let's go out on the deck. I think it's only fair that we take watch since we spent most of the day in bed."

He raised his eyebrow at her and Tiri felt her cheeks heat.

"That's not what I meant, you ero-cook!" she protested, smacking his arm lightly.

His answering laugh made her smile as he took her offered hand and rose from the bed fluidly, straightening their clothes before they stepped out of her door. Tying her hair in a loose knot and speaking in soft tones, they moved through the silent, dark library and onto the deck. With a few well-timed hops, Sanji had scaled the ladder and was peering down at her. Melting into the familiar form of petals, Tiri drifted up on the soft air currents that came from the sea, landing on the wooden upper deck of the crow's nest with a quiet thump.

He was already leaning a hip against the railing, the wind ruffling his hair gently as he took a deep drag from his cigarette. Vaulting her slender body up and over, she sat on the flat surface of Sunny Go's railing, fishing the remains of the small packet of papers out of her pocket. The small part of her that couldn't let go had held on to the last few scraps of paper and she ran a hand idly over the cracked pages. The wind fluttered their edges as she slowly leafed through them, the words neatly scrawled meaningless to her. In the dim light of the moon, the ink seemed even more faded than the words' age made them. From the corner of her eye she saw his face turn towards her, then felt him step closer, the warmth of his body seeping into her back and shoulder.

"Oi, Tiri-chan, what have you got there?"

She turned, long fingers holding a cigarette to his lips while the other cupped a match against the wind to light it. She smiled sadly, the slightly tattered sheets held loosely in her fingers.

"A past that should hold more meaning to me than it does," she answered flatly, as he raised a hand to touch her shoulder, a stream of smoke escaping past his lips as he plucked the stick from them.

"You love being cryptic, don't you?" he chuckled quietly, though his eyes showed some concern at the tone of her voice.

She shook her head with that same smile.

"Not especially, no, I suppose I just enjoy waxing poetic. Part of-"

"Being a flower girl, so I've heard. When are you going to stop using that ability of yours as an excuse?"

She jerked back like he had slapped her.

"What?"

He blew out another stream of smoke, flicking the finished butt into the sea and immediately lighting another.

"I mean, you are poetic. And you make music, you live in a library…I suppose I'm asking when you're going to accept that you are you, regardless of the devil fruit."

She tilted her head, silvery eyes far away as she considered his question. It was unlike Sanji to be so blunt, but he deserved an answer. She remained silent, however, for several heartbeats, groping through her mind for the words.

"I was never one to look back, when I left something behind…or someone. I'm not entirely certain whether that's a part of my nature or the circumstances of my life, but it's true either way," she began, then took a breath, her brow furrowed as memories floated by in her mind's eye.

Sanji regarded her quietly, his hands in his pockets.

"From what I've been told, my parents were loving people, my father a shrewd business man. He had made a small fortune, purchasing an estate on the very island where I met you guys. But, he lost it, unfairly, I suspect. He and my mother both died not long after I was born. A local shopkeeper took me in, though I think I gave her more grey hairs than she bargained for," she said with a laugh.

"Of that, I have no doubt," the cook answered, closing his eyes with a quiet laugh.

"I was unruly," Tiri replied with a grin, "I believe was the word she liked to use. At any rate, the fate of my parents wasn't exactly a secret and I found I had…nimble fingers, shall we say. And I was light on my feet. I'm sure you can deduce where I'm going with this?"

"You stole the deed to your father's estate," he said with a crooked grin.

"So I did and here the remains of my effort lie. The question, though, is what are they even worth to me?"

Even as she asked the question, she looked down at the documents in her lap, finger tracing over the signatures on the last page.

"I don't even know which of these could be my father's name," she murmured, lifting her hand to look at the papers in the soft starlight.

"You don't know it?"

"No."

They were both silent after that for a long time. Sanji stepped closer to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders as she stared out over the water and she leaned her head against him companionably. Tiri watched images from her childhood drift before her eyes.

_The beating she took after her first climb. _

_Adrenaline pumped through her body after her first successful burglary and she ran into the man who stole her first kiss that same day. _

_Rain pattered against the street outside her window as she hopped out of it, bidding goodbye to the only home she had ever known._

Without a word, she uncurled her fingers and the white sheaves floated on the breeze to the water, landing delicately on the surface before sinking into the depths.

"That couldn't have been easy," she heard Sanji's voice near her ear, but she shook her head.

"It was never real to me, Sanji-kun. Why hold on to that which means so little in the long run? Besides, this is home for me now. And it's a lot nicer than where I came from."

She lifted her head and saw him grinning at her fondly, before he reached out a hand and ruffled her curls, causing strands to escape and stream around her face.

"Oi," she grouched irritably, shoving the errant curls back with an impatient hand, "What am I, nine?"

"Hardly," was the light response, his eye roving over her and she felt a flush race to her cheeks.

"Careful," she said with a teasing smile, touching his nose with a finger, "I'd hate to inspire another nosebleed, or worse."

He took the jibe good-naturedly, his hand sliding up to completely free the unruly mane of lavender hair to escape its confines.

"Much better," he murmured, his fingers trailing down to cup her chin.

His thumb stroked along the curve of her jaw as he brought his face closer to hers, their foreheads touching. Playfully, she bumped his nose with hers and he chuckled, his breath warm against her lips. Gently, she placed a soft kiss on his lips, reaching down and linking their fingers. Sanji brought them up, covering her hand with his over his heart.

The gesture made her smile.

"You're a hopeless romantic, Sanji-kun."

"Maybe so, Tiri-chan, but that didn't sound like a complaint."

"It wasn't."

* * *

><p>Suddenly, Tiri felt a tingling sensation at the base of her neck, as if all the hairs were standing straight up. She stiffened, then whirled her head around, her eyes whipping back and forth rapidly across the horizon. Then she spotted it, a strange pattern in the way the waves rolled across the ocean's surface.<p>

"Sanji," she said in a low voice, tugging at her fingers in his grasp lightly to get his undivided attention, "go wake the others. I think we're about to have some unwanted company."

"Eh?"

He followed her gaze and must have seen what she had, because he pressed a swift peck to her cheek and then was gone. Hopping lightly, Tiri stepped off the edge of the railing, catching the ropes of the rigging with nimble fingers. Utilizing her momentum, she swung down to the deck, landing squarely next to the swing. By the time she had straightened, the other Straw Hats were assembling on the grassy deck. Luffy stepped towards her slowly, his eyes bleary and his fingers digging into his scalp as he scratched idly.

"What is it, Tiri? Somethin' wanna fight?"

"I'm not sure yet, Luffy-san. Usopp, what can you see?"

The long-nosed sniper was peering through his eyeglass, a frown tugging at his mouth.

"It's difficult to make out, but it looks like several large objects are coming towards us from beneath the waves."

Tiri squinted out at the water, straining to see in the dim light of the moon. Another uneasy sensation crawled up her spine and she shifted to balance on the balls of her feet. From the corner of her eye, she saw several of the others mimic her motion.

"I think," she said in a dry tone," we should probably brace for some kind of impact."

Franky spun on his heel and raced up the staircase.

"I have a better idea! Let's make a super dodge!"

Grabbing onto the railing, Tiri held on for dear life as Franky reached the steering wheel and spun it sharply starboard. The wooden beam of the railing slammed into her midsection and Tiri grunted from the impact. Pain shot through her abdomen and blackness swirled at the edge of her vision. Shaking her head roughly, she stood straight on wobbly legs.

I must not be fully recovered from the fight earlier, she thought with a wince. Rubbing her middle in a futile effort to soothe the ache radiating through her body now.

"Oye, Franky!" she yelled when she had caught her breath, "Warn a woman when you're going to pull a stupid stunt like that!"

He had the decency to look somewhat ashamed, but there was no time to reply as what had been swimming towards them surfaced. Tiri dimly heard a chorus of high-pitched shrieks coming from behind her, but she was too stunned by the sight before them.

Four massive sea kings had risen out of the sea, writhing and flailing. Their cries were enough to make the wooden boards beneath the deck vibrate and Tiri covered her ears at their bellows. The water churned around them, foam spouting upwards as they thrashed. Their gaping maws opened wide, thick fangs dripping sea water. Fins wavered from their heads, down their scaly necks and struck the ocean in an impressive and agressive display.

"Whoa! Awesome!" Luffy shouted, throwing his hands up and his black eyes glittering in excitement, "Now those are perfect to pull Sunny!"

The largest of the kings began to sway back and forth, throwing its head back and roaring mightily. Knashing its teeth, it sped forward towards the ship, its body undulating over the waves, slithering like a giant serpent. Luffy swiftly sucked in air and put his thumb in his mouth.

"Gear...Third!"

Sharp teeth bit down into the flesh of his thumb and blew. His fist swelled to an enormous size and he swung, smashing into the monster's extended snout. It let out a screech of pain, rearing back and shaking itself, as if to clear away its stunned pain. The king bellowed again and Tiri groaned, two more monsters surfacing at their apparent leader's summons.

Robin crossed her arms as Nami assembled the Clima-tact, the scent of ozone and static filling the air, making it crackle with energy.

"Mil Fleur," the brunette murmured, hundreds of hands blooming from the side of the Sunny.

Usopp expertly twirled his slingshot in his hand, firing several bullets in rapid succession, their shells bursting painfully against scaled flesh as the sea kings began their joint assault. Tiri watched, her fists clenching as she watched the unfolding skirmish, Brooke already had his sword drawn, his grinning visage a rather frightening sight as he held the blade aloft. Sanji flew past her, the wind from his passage whipping her hair to cover her face. Pushing the unruly mass back with a sneer, it faded when she noticed one beast breaking away from the others. Her nakama were too occupied to see it as it dove beneath the water.

"Enough!" she snarled, whirling on her heel, dashing over to Luffy and catching his arm as he cocked his fist back for another swing.

"Give me a boost!" she demanded, momentarily distracted by the streak of rockets fired from Franky's shoulder over their heads.

Her captain looked at her blankly a moment.

"Huh?" he asked as Zoro darted past them, leaping into the air with a growl.

"Baka!" she cuffed him on the back of the head, then pointed to upwards, towards the crow's nest, "There's no time for me to shift, now do it! Towards the mast!"

He frowned at her, blinked, then gave her a massive grin.

"Shishishishi! No problem!"

Nodding she linked her hand with his as his other arm wound its way around her waist. Lifting her up as if she weighed no more than a blade of grass, he spun, tossing her high into the air as if she were a projectile. Twisting her body, she reached out an arm, her fingers grasping at the end of the rope that dangled down from the sails. Tiri was flying through the air like one of Usopp's bullets and she held the rope until it tightened, having already relaxed her body for the sharp impact. The threads tightened and she twisted again, altering her momentum just enough in order to swing around and upwards.

Lining up her angle, she let go and spun into a tight somersault, tumbling through the air in an impressive display of acrobatic ability. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough; she needed weapons. As she had hoped, she landed on the roof of Zoro's training room and she untucked her body, rolling into a rough landing. Desperate to slow herself down, she clawed at the red tiles, but she was careening towards the other edge of the roof. The wooden tiles bit into the exposed skin of her arms and face and she tasted something metallic. Finally, digging in her heels to the wooden surface, she slid to painful stop.

"B-Bastard!" she muttered, spitting out blood, "I'm gonna use his thick head for a doormat when this is over."

Grimacing as she forced herself up, clutching at a gash in her arm and staggering upright. Turning on her heel, she looked over the edge of the Sunny Go to the ocean, seeing the waves churning foam just to the side.

"I've gotta hurry," she spoke quietly, hopping down and darting as fast as she could through an open window.

She sped through the room, a cream and lilac colored blur as she grabbed two katanas from the rack and leaped through the window on the other side, glass shattering around her. There was a sudden stinging across her cheek, but she ignored it. Praying silently to whatever gods may hear her, she extended her body, feet aimed straight down, hurtling through the air and towards the water. A heated roar reached her ears through the wind rushing past them. The serpent she had seen seperate from the others burst upwards and she closed her eyes.

"Tiri-chan!"

Sanji's voice cut through the noise of monsters and battle. Tiri refused to answer, lest she lose her concentration. The jagged teeth of the monster rushed up to greet her and she gritted her teeth. Her body dissolved, the petals flowing on the wind currents just as the jaws closed, but they caught nothing. Instead, they streamed around its head, around its snout reforming on the protruding appendage into a solid form.

With a snarl, she raced up towards its eyes, a katana firmly clutched in each hand. Thrusting one into first one eye, she darted over to stab the other, then across the hump that formed its forehead as it reared its head back, black blood gushing from the now blinded orbs like tears. Its cry of pain reverberated in her bones, its entire body shaking with the sound and Tiri lost her balance. Shrieking, she slid down the king's writhing neck, the sea a mass of bubbles and foam as the sea king thrashed in its agony.

Tiri crashed into a thick spine, pain wretching through her right leg as the sharp piece of bone tore into her flesh. Crying out, she scrabbled to grab onto anything, but the scales were too slick and the remains of the sea made her feel weak. Her muscles were rebelling against her will and she slipped off as the sea king undulated, diving back down into the water and taking her with it.

She splashed down into the ocean, almost immediately sinking below the waves, the cold stealing all the air from her body. Salt water filled her lungs as she struggled for breath, fought to return to the surface, but her body was no longer hers to command. It moved sluggishly, languidly in the thick sea. Blackness surrounded her, her senses overhwhelmed by fear and panic. A stream of red flowed past her vision, or what she had of it in the deep darkness of the sea.

Clarity flashed through her mind and she knew that she had no chance if the sea kings smelt her blood, they would swallow her whole. But what little strength remained was slipping away with her life's essence. Finality and acceptance of her fate knawed at the the corner's of her consciousness. Knowledge that she probably had less than a couple of moments left flickered as her eyes drifted closed.

Then, without warning, something wound about her waist and she felt herself being dragged swiftly upwards. Water poured past her, through her, she thought idly, and then suddenly there was a strong wind, the sensation of being beneath the waves no longer surrounding her. As if a from a great distance, splashing reached her ears and the sound of voices.

She was being lifted again, this time through cold air. Her eyes still wouldn't open, but some deeply buried instinct told her to cough. Then something was pressing hard on her middle and she water being forcefully expelled from her body. The darkness blinding her lifted and Tiri realized she had opened her eyelids.

"Hu-huh *cough* ow..." she whispered hoarsely.

She weakly lifted a hand to wipe away the water from her eyes, blinking rapidly and squinting through the stinging salt that lingered. When she tried to sit up, a hand was at her shoulder, pushing her back down. That was when she could feel the softness of grass at her back and she noted that she must have been pulled from the water and back onto Sunny. A face filled her vision, a flash of green hair and sharp features.

"You have a terrible habit of rushing off without thinking it through," a deep voice rumbled above her, "You're taking too much after Luffy like that."

Tiri felt her face split into a tired grin as she looked up.

"Yeah, maybe you're right. But he's an enabler, so it isn't entirely my fault," she coughed hard again, "So who pulled me out of the water?"

Another hand touched her shoulder and she turned her head. Sanji was dripping wet from head to toe, his hair plastered to his skull and in his eyes was a reflection of relief, anger, and exasperation among other things.

"Ah, my knight in black armor," she joked quietly as he was suddenly pushed aside.

Chopper moved around her like a fluttering bird, checking her heartbeat, brushing away the hair that stuck to her forehead so that he could get a better look at her eyes. The small doctor muttered to himself as the other Straw Hats crowded around her.

"Shishishishi," she heard Luffy's distinct laughter to her left, "That was awesome! But, did you have to blind it? I wanted them to pull Sunny through the New World."

She lifted an eyebrow, since she didn't have the energy to punch him at the moment.

"Would you have preferred I swam down to the bottom and apologized to the poor thing?"

"Bad idea!" Chopper screeched as Luffy opened his mouth to agree with her and Nami cuffed him hard on the back of the head.

"Thanks, Nami," Tiri said with a tiny smile before she closed her eyes again.

She knew that she and Sanji were going to have some serious words about this latest stunt, but, for now, she just wanted to rest. As she breathed deeply of the sweet night air, Tiri opened her eyes again to regard her nakama as they playfully bickered and bantered amongst themselves. relieving the tension from her near death.

To see this, Tiri thought, was worth it.


	8. Chapter 8

Tiri's eyelashes fluttered against her cheek as she opened her eyes fully, feeling warmth and cool air caressing the back of her neck, her hair having been twisted into a simple bun. Grass stains dyed her denim-clad knees a deep emerald and she rubbed her palms across their damp surface idly, her mind drifting aimlessly. The wall she was leaning against was a hard contrast to the soft surface of the deck she sat on.

The day was bright, large white, puffy clouds floating lazily through a perfect sky. It was both appreciated and suspected by the Straw Hat crew. A beautiful day such as this was to be enjoyed while it lasted, especially considering that they never did in the New World. It also made Tiri's mood become contemplative and philosophical.

A week in bed, Chopper's anxious face hovering over her as he fought to keep her still, bandaged, and disinfected.

A week, in which Sanji came to see her only once, his frown deep and troubled, and his hands in his pockets. Few words had been exchanged, her defiant stare enough to apparently convince him that chastisement would have been futile. Tiri had lain in her bunk, convinced that she had done what she had to.

But he hadn't agreed, his expression conveying his frustration with her recklessness, as he saw it. The silence that had stretched between them had felt as heavy as seastone. A bloom began to grow in Tiri's mind then, a resentment that, always, he had to save her. It blossomed into an anger aimed inward, uttering a quiet vow that she would become strong enough to defend herself if it killed her.

Zoro's training had helped, but, when faced with situations like the sea king attack, there was only so much she could do once she left the ship. Yes, she had nearly died because she hadn't thought her actions entirely through and she could accept responsibility for that.

They would not have been able to stop that sea king in time; she had needed to act and she did, she rationalized. Would it have cost her life, truly? Didn't they put their lives on the line for each other at every turn? It was a price that would one day have to be paid and it was one that was given little thought. So why did it bother him so much when she fought, risked her life, to protect him and their nakama, when he did the exact same thing?

She did not spend long in her thoughts' embrace, a shadow falling over her and she glanced up, a tentative smile curving her lips.

"Hello…Sanji-kun," she murmured, patting the grass next to her, but he merely leaned his back against the wall, a stream of smoke wafting past her pleasantly.

He exhaled heavily, the eye that everyone could see closing as he lifted his hand to his lips, plucking the cigarette from between them and cradling it between his fingers. Mildly, he flicked the ashes over the railing of the ship. Without looking at her, he asked,

"How are your injuries healing, Tiri-chan?"

It was the first he had spoken to her in days and Tiri struggled between feeling somewhat grateful and irked. Honestly, she knew that, in a way, she deserved some of his anger. He clearly seemed to think that she had little regard for his feelings and, in truth, she didn't know how to change his mind. She doubted that she could, except that, in time, he would come around; he always managed to understand her better then even she did.

Simply mentioning them made the bandages wrapped around her calves and stomach, however, seem tighter, and itchier. Glaring up at him, she ran her fingernails over the linen material in a futile attempt to soothe the irritated skin beneath.

"Fairly well, I think. Chopper promised me that I could take the bandages off tomorrow and I intend to take full advantage of his word."

"How could I have suspected any other outcome?" he teased her and she glared up at him again.

"Care to explain that one to me?"

He shrugged, looking at her casually from the corner of his eye.

"I thought you'd have gotten them off by now, is all. You are rarely a patient woman, Tiri-chan."

Her silver eyes narrowed considerably and she growled under her breath, hopping lightly to her feet. The line had been drawn in the sand between them.

"It is also rare for you to not speak your mind plainly, so I will ask it of you, since you seem to prefer dancing around it," she replied, crossing her arms and watching him closely, "what, exactly, is your point?"

He shrugged again.

"I suppose I don't exactly have one."

Tiri gritted her teeth, then let out a heavy sigh, pinching the bridge of her nose. Steeling herself, she moved until she stood right in front of him, the top of her head barely reaching his nose. Her head tilted back so that she could look him in the eye.

"Sanji," she said softly, calling out to him for something that even she was not sure of, "Sanji, how often will you require me to say that I am sorry? To ask for your forgiveness?"

He looked away from her, his cigarette discarded over the side of the ship. She continued, her voice quiet as she hung her head.

"We agreed that I did not have to promise you anything when it came to battle, only that I would be honest with you. I've done that...so why isn't it enough anymore?"

She heard him exhale roughly, saw the flash of his hand as it came up to rub at the back of his neck. They were so close that she could feel the warmth of his body more clearly than even the sunshine that beat at her back.

"Sanji-kun," she whispered, afraid that if she spoke any louder her voice would have broken, "what do you want from me?"

His silence unnerved her and she glanced up, noting that he still avoiding looking at her. With her heart feeling brittle inside her chest, she reached on her tiptoes and pressed her lips to his cheek briefly. He froze at her movement before she dropped back to her feet.

"When you know that, come talk to me. I'll be waiting."

There was nothing else to say, so she turned on her heel silently and crossed the deck towards the mast, melting away into petals and flowing upwards.

She solidified after floating through an open window in Zoro's training room, checking the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes. Wiping at them with a hard hand, she took a cleansing breath.

Where had it gone so wrong, so fast?

Tiri paced to the opposite window, looking out blindly at the sea, the breeze ruffling the stray curls that framed her face.

"You think too much," a voice observed from her left and she half-turned.

Nami was sitting on the long, padded bench, her legs tucked neatly to her side as she cupped her chin in one hand, her elbow propped on the back of a cushion. Tiri forced a smile to curve crookedly across her lips.

"You're no doubt right," she replied, leaning a hip against the wall, the wind playing through the lilac strands that hung about her features, "It is becoming a bothersome habit."

Her wry observation made the gorgeous redhead chuckle lightly.

"It can be, especially if one is thinking about the past, the present, and the future at once."

It was Tiri's turn to laugh quietly, the shrewd navigator eyeing her keenly.

"Reading minds, Nami-san?"

Nami shook her head, her long orange tresses tossed back by a careless hand.

"Don't be deliberately thick-headed, Tiri, it doesn't suit you. Your heart's always on your face, whether you'd like it to be or not."

Tiri grumbled, her brows furrowing as she turned her head away, returning her eyes to the sea.

"He loves you, you know."

Tiri jerked her head back around, eyes wide and her jaw gaping, the expression making the other woman chuckle.

"Don't act so surprised, he can't hide his emotions either. I suspect even Luffy knows what's going on between you two."

Her cheeks flamed from embarrassment as she bent her neck, curls falling forward to obscure her flush.

"Oh, boy," she muttered under her breath, her hand coming up to grip her opposite arm lightly, rubbing her palm up and down the exposed skin.

"Relax, it's not a big deal. You're both human, like the rest of us. Well, with the obvious exceptions, but you get the idea."

She looked up, her face still painfully hot.

"It is a big deal, Nami-san," she protested, before letting out a sigh, running a slender hand to push back the tangled mass of lilac strands, "It's a moot point anyway. Sanji hasn't forgiven me for taking on that sea king and it doesn't look like he's going to let it go anytime soon."

"So perhaps you should convince him otherwise," a soft voice came from somewhere to her far right and she looked up to see Robin smiling at her gently, her arms crossed in a relaxed pose.

Tiri blinked before her lips curved into a hesitant smile.

"You mean seduce him?" she clarified and Robin nodded once, her head tilting slightly.

The silver-eyed pirate shook her head emphatically.

"I doubt Sanji-kun would respond to that very well at the moment,"she muttered, letting her eyes drop down.

Then she heard the redhead breath out a very unladylike snort.

"Aren't you the one always rushing out without thinking, following our great captain's example?" Tiri nodded slowly and Nami continued, "Besides, as head over heels as that man is for you, trust me...he'll see your viewpoint."

"Nami-san is right, Tiri-san," Robin added and Tiri chewed on her bottom lip, "and Sanji is a good man. He will understand more than you give him credit for."

Tiri glanced between the other two women, a grin tugging at the corners of her lips.

"You are both truly devious, you realize this?"

Nami and Robin shared a look, twin smiles gracing their features before their eyes turned to her.

"Aren't we all?" Nami asked, settling her body more comfortably on the couch, "But you aren't asking the real question, which is, when are you going to tell Sanji-kun that you are in love with _him_?"

Her face turned nearly as red as Nami's hair.

"Truly devious," she muttered.

* * *

><p>She knew where to find him, had always known, if she had possessed the courage to try and speak with him. It was rare for fear to hold her back from anything, but in this case...<p>

Tiri hesitated near the galley door, the setting sun bathing the ship in a gorgeous citrus glow. Her fingertips absently stroked across the smooth wood. The crew had dispersed almost an hour ago, their meal as lively as always, though Tiri had been more than a little subdued this night. Zoro had cut his eyes at her more than once, only to turn his gaze away and shake his head. Let him speculate, she thought with a derisive snort, the bonehead would need something to chew on as he sat on watch that night. The others, however, seemed oblivious, even Sanji, the exception being the women of the crew, of course. Robin and Nami had not brought attention to her lack of interaction and she was grateful for it. She didn't think she could have explained to anyone what was going through her mind.

The breeze off the ocean carried a sharp smell, a distinct contrast to its soft caress at her back. Straightening her shoulders, she took a deep breath and stepped through the doorway. The galley was dimly illuminated by the setting sun, the only light on being the one in the heart of the kitchen. Butterflies fluttered in her stomach as she drew closer, then sped up when her eyes landed on the cook's back, his spine curved as he bent over the sink. He had discarded his jacket for the time being, the sleeves of his shirt rolled up as he plunged his hands into soapy water.

Steeling her nerves, she strode around the counter and hopped up, curling her legs beneath her as she twisted around on the smooth surface to face him. His eyes flicked towards her but he said nothing. For a time, she watched him in silence, just thankful that he didn't dismiss her from his kitchen right away, and enjoyed the almost companionable quiet that stretched between them. Plucking up a rag, Tiri took a newly cleaned dish from his grasp and dried the drops of heated water that ran down its contours. The smoke from his cigarette drifted lazily out the porthole, its scent a soothing balm to her jangled mind.

"It's a thinking job, isn't it?" she asked finally, her voice soft in the evening air.

He grunted, the sound resembling a question, so she trudged forward, her hands busy as she elaborated.

"When you wash dishes, you generally have more than enough time to contemplate...probably more time than you actually need. So, it's a thinking job," her explanation was greeted with nothing more than a nod, so she continued, her voice lowering even further as she bowed her head, "I've been doing too much thinking these past few days...but enough to realize that I might have made a mistake."

His head jerked up then with a small sound and he turned to her, his visible eye wide.

"What do you mean by that?"

His tone wasn't harsh, but it held a raggedness to it that made her want to flinch. Tiri hopped down from the counter and stood beside him, daring to reach out her hand and brush the stray strands of blonde hair that always fell into his face. His gaze softened somewhat at her quiet expression and he lifted his larger palm to cup hers against his cheek with a small smile.

"I was almost too stubborn to tell you that I love you," she murmured as she plucked away his cigarette and closed the distance between them, her mouth slanting beneath his in an achingly sweet kiss that left her knees weak and set her heart to hammering in her chest.

She glided her mouth against his, relishing the silky feel against hers, sipping at his lower lip gently. She felt more than heard him groan and parted her lips and devilishly touched her tongue against his closed mouth. He accepted her invitation, plunging his tongue into the sweet cavern of her mouth and leaving her absolutely breathless.

They parted and his hands slid down her arms to lightly grasp her wrists, his thumbs tracing the ridges of her knuckles. He leaned close, his lips brushing against the shell of her ear and whispered words that caused butterflies to erupt in her stomach.

"A terrible romantic, you are," she teased, angling her head to bump her nose against his cheek.

He chuckled, pressing a soft kiss against the sensitive spot just beneath her ear, making her shiver.

"Probably, but you enjoy it."

"No denial here."

Tiri tugged at her captured wrists as one kiss blended into another and another, his mouth leaving hers only to gasp in just enough air to keep breathing. He relinquished his grasp on her hands, bringing one hand to cup her face tenderly while the other snaked its way around the curve of her waist, bringing her flush against him. Her own hands slip up his chest to wrap around his neck, holding him closer still, and dragging slender fingers through the strands of his hair. She heard a small sound, like a whimper, unaware that the noise escaped past her own lips. Sanji, however, reacted strongly, pulling away suddenly to stare down into the shimmering depths of her eyes, his irises dark with hunger.

"You're going to be the death of me," he breathed against her lips, making her bite her them to keep a moan from slipping past.

She shifted and pressed those same lips to the exposed skin of his throat, letting her tongue slip out to taste the salty flesh there and he made a strangled noise.

"Tiri," he said softly, making heat pool low in her belly as she placed feather-light lips against his jaw, turning her head to meet his mouth again with hers in another bone-melting kiss.

"Sanji," she whispered between the touching of his mouth to hers and he groaned again, the sound reverberating right through her.

He broke away to trail soft kisses against her neck, working his way down to her bared collarbone, only to return to her lips once more.

"If you keep talking in that voice, we're not going to make it back to your room," he warned in a raspy breath, his voice slipping into a deep baritone, reflecting his need for her, "Anyone could walk in here."

If that wasn't a dare, she'd eat Zoro's bandana.

And to be honest, she couldn't think of anywhere else on the Line that was more perfect than where they were right then, in the one place that his presence completely surrounded her.

"Sanji...please," she pleaded, her lips remaining parted after his name escaped them and he groaned, leaning his forehead against hers, his hand moving from her cheek to tangle in the curled strands of her hair, the other moving to lace fingers with hers at her side.

"Kami, you were sent to tempt me, weren't you?"

His voice trailed off with a noise that sounded more like a growl as she undulated her body against him, their hips connecting intimately despite the bulk of their clothing. She bit back another smirk as she brought their linked hands up to her lips. With a wicked gleam in her eyes, her small pink tongue darted out to lap briefly at each individual pad of his fingertip.s His eyes practically smoldered as he watched her mouth with rapt attention, piercing down on his own lip with his teeth and muttering in a strained voice,

"You don't play fair."

"Nope," she replied simply with a smile, running her newly freed hands hands down along his chest to begin nimbly unfastening the buttons of his shirt.

Sanji seemed to have run out of words then, because his hands tightened where they had landed on her hips as his mouth crashed back down onto hers, causing heat to lance through her body. With a deep, heated kiss, he dragged his lips from her mouth to meander down the line of her neck to the fluttering pulsepoint of her throat. Evidently desire made him bold. He nipped her there, soothing the bite with a gentle swipe of his tongue and she let her head fall back with a moan, fumbling with the last button. Her quest successful, she then brought her hands to the bare skin of his chest, fingers dancing along the plains of lean muscle, relishing the feel of their contractions at her touch.

With a shrug of his shoulders, he removed his shirt, letting it land unheeded on the wooden floor of the galley, his lips never leaving hers. Tiri felt his hands busied themselves awkwardly, impatience winning out over any pretended finesse as they slipped beneath the hem of her shirt and slide along the length of her spine towards the clasp of her bra. With a soft laugh, she assisted him when he fumbled over the tiny hooks, tossing both articles of clothing over her head and leaning back into him. He brought his palms to her shoulders, however, and eased her away, letting his eyes rove over her, his cheeks flushing. He appeared to be drinking her in, his hands lifting to tentatively caress the curve of her waist, index finger tracing the shape of her body from the soft curve of her breast to the waistline of the jeans that still covered her hips, other fingers splaying to explore all the soft flesh between. Unable to remain still, Tiri resumed her exploration of his torso, hands tracing intricate, random patterns as the warmth of his touch on her body caused the heat pooling in her belly to flare.

Lips soon followed, her mouth pressing sweetly, softly against the skin of his chest, making him quiver as her clever hands ghosted nails down his ribs. Her mouth blazed downwards and Sanji's hands moved to thread through the curls of her hair, undoing her hastily constructed ponytail and letting the lilac strands flow wildly about her face and shoulders. As her lips met the top of his trousers, she slid her hands down, down his legs to help him discard his hard soled shoes. On her knees before him, she hooked her thumbs into the band of the material and eased it down before placing it next to his heavy shoes. Tiri couldn't suppress the shiver of anticipation as she glanced up and saw the evidence of his desire for her urgently pressing against the confines of his boxers.

Her mouth curved into a wicked smile and she saw him swallow hard again when she began to stroke the skin of his thighs in slow, sweeping caresses, venturing near but never touching where she knew he wanted her the most. She pressed her scarcely clad body against his leg, planting tongue-flicked kisses from just above his knee upwards, ever upwards. Pushing the material down, she freed him, her fingertips caressing the hard, velvet flesh as her lips brushed over the length of him. His hands fisted in her hair as she flicked her tongue over the tip of him, her thumb sliding against the sensitive nerve just beneath it.

It proved too much for him, all concern of discovery completely forgotten as Sanji swooped down, pulling her to her feet and pressing her back against the door of the pantry. With a small motion of his fingers, he had unbuttoned her jeans and shoved them down her long legs. His hips were cradled intimately between hers and she could feel him pressing insistently against her inner thigh. His mouth claimed hers in a searing kiss that stole all the wickedness from her thoughts and left her mind spinning.

Something within him seemed to have broken, or perhaps been let loose. His eyes had darkened to a color that was closest to black as he raked them over her bountiful chest. He then bent his head to place hot, open-mouthed kisses along the creamy slopes, the rosy flesh of her nipple pebbling as his warm breath fanned over the tip. Locking his gaze with hers, he flicked the coral bud with his tongue and she could no longer hold her eyes open, letting them fall shut with a breathy moan. The sound must have pleased him, because he let his incredibly talented tongue swirl over the tip of her breast before taking it into his mouth and suckling softly. Tiri cried out at the sensation, a burning cord seeming to have lanced fire from her chest straight to her core. Sanji tugged at the strings that held her tiny pair of panties over her hips and the lacy material fell away at his insistence.

He pulled away and she immediately missed the warmth of his body. He just stared down at her bare form, and she remained still under his heated gaze. Despite the hunger in his eyes and the hard evidence of his desire, Sanji's expression was one of mild trepidation.

"I've-I've never-," he began but she placed gentle fingers against his lips, then pulled him down to kiss him once more, pouring all she had, everything she would be into that one melding of mouths.

Perhaps he understood, or perhaps her sneaking hands roaming down his shoulders, dancing along his stomach, to reach between them and stroke his length through the slight cloth of his boxers had gotten his attention. Either way, his ardor was restored in full force as she caressed him before guiding his shaking hand to explore her hidden depths. His llong, slender fingers slid against the slick heat of her. As one hand stroked his hardened manhood, causing him to buck and growl against her lips, the other she used she led him to the small bud of her womanhood. His thumb circled it with a light pressure and she undulated against him, squeezing his shaft firmly in a response that had his hips surging forward and they both gasped. She whimpered into his mouth as he curiously slid a finger to the very center of her, slipping the digit inside and crooking it upwards as his mouth worshipped her breasts. Lights popped like tiny stars behind her closed eyelids as he began to move his finger in a steady rhythm, pushing her closer to a precipice that she was teetering on already.

"Sanji, please...I need...", she was unable to fully verbalize what it was she needed, the sensations rolling through her body keeping her from forming a coherent thought.

He must have comprehended her desire, however, as suddenly his hands slid along the smooth flesh of her thighs, hooking beneath them and lifting her till her legs wrapped around his narrow waist. His swollen length was pressing urgently against her center. Her legs tightened around him of their own accord and she used the leverage of leaning back against the pantry door to roll her hips in a manner that clearly spoke of her acquiescence. Kissing her with a hunger that he couldn't deny, he plunged into her with a swift thrust, letting out a hiss of breath at the tightness of her sheath around him. She could feel is length throbbing within her and she moved her hips, a silent plea for him to move. He shook his head.

"Just-Just a minute...Kami, Tiri," he ground out, his head bent to nuzzle the cradle at the jointure of her neck and shoulder as her arms wrapped around his neck.

She assented, stilling. After what seemed like an eternity, he pulled back, almost completely, then buried himself to the hilt in a quick thrust, causing them both to moan. Together, they began a hesitant rhythm, moving to a tempo that had played since the world began. His movements became surer, stronger, and she responded eagerly, the pooling heat at her center spiraling tighter and tighter until she thought she would burst from the exquisite torment. Ripples of sensation rolled through her body as he moved, the hot friction building.

The world had narrowed to just the two of them, their lovemaking soft, sweet, yet filled with an undercurrent of urgency as her climax neared. As he guided her hips to the cadence he desired, she felt the molten wave burst forth and his name tumbled from her lips like a prayer, devouring her in its scorching heat, rolling over her in wave after wave. He wasn't far behind, his essence pouring in a cascade as he groaned out her name into her mouth.

All the strength in her limbs had melted and she leaned her forehead against him, her hair damp with sweat as she unhooked her legs from around him to slid down his body. Her feet touched the floor, but it was his weight against her that kept her upright. Even so, a smile curved her lips as her leg brushed his and she felt it shaking. Tilting her head back to look up at him, she felt her smile turn into a grin.

"We're going to have to fight more often," she quipped and Sanji let out a bark of laughter, pulling her from the door and hugging her to him.

"How about we just agree to make love in the galley every day after dinner?"

She snorted into his shoulder, too spent to lift her arms higher than his waist as she wrapped them around him.

"Oh, can you imagine the looks on our nakama's faces if they walked in on that?" another image popped across her mind's eye and she stifled a giggle, "Franky would kill us if he knew what we just did against his precious Sunny!"

He shook his head and started to pull away, but she stopped him, a thought striking her. She lifted a hand to his nose, her silver eyes widening.

"Oye, no blood!"

He pressed his lips to her hovering palm.

"I suppose you heightened my focus," he teased.

"Did I now?" she asked with a quirked brow, placing her hands on her hips.

He simply smiled at her, ruffling the curls of her hair and making her scowl as he turned to retrieve his clothes. She followed suit, but not before swatting at his ass when he bent down to pick up his boxers and trousers.

"Vengence," she declared, tugging her jeans back over her hips and Sanji just shook his head quietly.

Redressed, the blonde man took her by the hand and led her out to the deck, the last rays of sunset stretching across the sea as they leaned against the railing, one of his arms draped across her shoulders. He placed a cigarette between his lips and reached for his lighter. Tiri promptly plucked it from his fingers and lit the end for him, a gesture that earned her a warm look, as well as a brush of lips against her hair when as he held the smoking stick in his free hand.

"It's beautiful," she murmured, releasing strands of lavender curls as petals into the cooling evening air.

He looked down at her for a moment, then took another drag of his cigarette, smoke streaming to dance in the wind with the lilac petals.

"Yes, it is," he agreed quietly.

And it was enough.

_~Fin~_

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><p><em><strong>AN: **_**And it's done, loves! *Heaves a sigh* Ah, feels to good to have finished that! So, what do you all think? Wasn't it a fun ride? I enjoyed myself. ^_^**

**Anyhoo, thank you all so much for reviewing, following, favoriting, and reading along! I hope you've all enjoyed it and keep an eye out for new stories (and possible sequels)! Cheers!**

**~silvergryphon06**


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